Salient features and applications of IRNSS

India entered an exclusive club of five nations that have their own satellite navigation and positioning system with the launch of IRNSS-1G recently known as Navic, the country's seventh navigation satellite.

Features of IRNSS:

• IRNSS is similar to the global positioning system (GPS) of the US (24 satellites), Glonass of Russia, and Galileo of Europe, as well as China's Beidou.
• It is a Constellation of seven satellites (3 in geostationary and 4 in geosynchronous orbit) will provide navigational services to South Asia
• An area of 1,500 km from Indian boundaries will be covered under the navigational system.
• Highly precise position, velocity and time informationin real time for authorized users on a variety of vehicles. The proof of concept of an independent regional navigation satellite system over India has been demonstrated for the targeted position accuracy of better than 20 metres over 24 hours of the day.
• IRNSS will offer two services:
• Standard Positioning Service: that will be accessible to anyone
• Restricted Service:Will be available only to the military and other government-authorized users.
• All seven IRNSS satellites will be at a height of about 36,000 km, taking a whole day to circle the Earth.
• Launched by PSLV
• Provides data with good accuracy for a single frequency user with the help of Ionospheric corrections.

Applications :

• It has both commercial and strategic applications. It caters to the needs of civil aviation and for positioning, navigation and timing
• With this, the country will not have to depend on a foreign power for military navigation. With the complete system in place, the armed forces will be able to find their position accurately in the battlegroundand direct ammunition and missiles deep into enemy territory
• Will provide time-location coordinates on land, sea and air.
• Cell phone apps-for mapping, driving, hiking in jungle and remote areas.
• Forest department: Putting out wildfire, tracking endangered animals.
• Fleet Managementg. taxi or truck company can monitor whether their driver is on right path or not.
• Disaster Management.
• During war: naval fleet Management, missile navigation etc.
• The system can also be used for civilian navigation — aircraft, ships, railways and others.
• Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travelers
• Along with visual and voice navigation for drivers.
• It can also be integrated into phones. Other civilian applications include mapping and vehicle and fleet management