Q. With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements :
- IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.
- IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.
- India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (UPSC Prelims 2018)
Answer:
1 only
Notes: The correct answer is
[A] 1 only. The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), operationally known as
NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary.
- Statement 1 (Correct): The IRNSS constellation consists of seven satellites. Out of these, three are placed in geostationary orbits (fixed over the equator at 32.5° E, 83° E, and 131.5° E) and four are in geosynchronous orbits (inclined at 29° to the equatorial plane). This configuration ensures continuous coverage over the Indian subcontinent.
- Statement 2 (Incorrect): IRNSS is designed to cover India and an area extending up to 1,500 km beyond its borders. The statement incorrectly mentions "5500 sq. km," which is an extremely small area (roughly the size of a small district) compared to the actual regional coverage provided by the system.
- Statement 3 (Incorrect): IRNSS is a regional navigation system, not a global one. While there were plans to expand its reach, India did not have a navigation system with "full global coverage" by 2019. Global systems currently include the US GPS, Russian GLONASS, European Galileo, and Chinese BeiDou.
Key Features of NavIC:
- Services: It provides two types of services: Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for all users and Restricted Service (RS), which is an encrypted service only for authorized users (military).
- Accuracy: It is designed to provide a position accuracy of better than 20 meters in the primary service area.
- Strategic Importance: It reduces India's dependence on foreign systems (like GPS) for critical navigation and timing requirements during emergency or conflict situations.