Tech
NavIC, India's Satellite-Based Navigation System, As Good As GPS Of United States: Govt
Representative Image
The government has said that India's satellite-based navigation system, NavIC, is as good as GPS of the United States in terms of position accuracy and availability in its service region.
Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said that NavIC can help in navigation on land, air, sea and also in disaster management.
"NavIC satellites are placed at a higher orbit than the GPS of United States. NavIC satellites are placed in geostationary orbit (GEO) and geosynchronous orbit (GSO) with an altitude of about 36,000 km; GPS satellites are placed in medium earth orbit (MEO) with an altitude of about 20,000 km," the minister said.
A satellite in Earth's geostationary orbit remains in the same position in the sky to observers on the surface.
NavIC uses dual frequency bands, which improves accuracy of dual frequency receivers by enabling them to correct atmospheric errors through simultaneous use of two frequencies.
It also helps in better reliability and availability because the signal from either frequency can serve the positioning requirement equally well.
"At the time of inception, an indigenously developed satellite navigation system was conceptualised to cater to requirements of critical national applications, including those of defence and commercial establishments. Hence the coverage area was designed to cover Indian Territory and surrounding 1500 km of Indian borders," the minister said.
The needs of critical national applications do evolve with time and efforts are continuously made to meet these requirements, including from the point of view of coverage, he added.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.
Latest
