IRNSS Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System

2023: India successfully launched the first new generation satellite into orbit NVS-01

At the end of May 2023, India successfully launched the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with a second-generation NVS-01 navigation satellite. According to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on its Twitter page, after a flight lasting about 19 minutes, the NVS-01 satellite was accurately put into a geosynchronous transition orbit.

The 2232 kg vehicle launched into orbit was the first satellite of the second generation of the Indian navigation system IRNSS (NavIC). In total, its orbital grouping includes eight vehicles.

Launching the first second-generation satellite into orbit

NVS-01 is equipped with an antenna for operation in the L1, L5 and S bands and an atomic clock created by local manufacturers from rubidium. The satellite will provide real-time positioning services throughout India and an area within a 1,500 km radius around it. Its operation is designed for a period of at least 12 years.

ISRO said the device will be used in the fields of marine and air navigation, terrain navigation, and will also provide coordinate determination and transfer services for the needs of agriculture, fishing, geodesy, marine transport monitoring, mobile services using geodata, and for the elimination of the consequences of natural disasters.

By the end of May 2023, seven NavIC spacecraft are in orbit. A number of them noted technical problems in the operation of imported atomic clocks (the accuracy of time measurement is critical for satellite navigation systems), the portal writes nasaspaceflight.com. The new satellite NVS-01 equipped with an Indian-made atomic clock (according to The Times of India, the country previously purchased similar equipment from the European Astrium).^[1]

2018: Full System Launch

In April, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the successful launch of the latest navigation satellite, IRNSS. Thus, the country has its own full-fledged alternative to GPS and GLONASS.

India launches GPS and GLONASS alternative

The satellite was IRNSS-1I delivered to orbit, the height of the perigee (the closest point to Earth) of which was 315 km, the height of the apogee was 35,809 km. At the same time, nothing is said how long the satellite's onboard engines worked to deliver it into orbit after firing from the dispenser.

The next orbital operation took place on April 13, 2018. The planned height of the perigee is 8.536 km, the climax is 35.793 km, the space agency said.

IRNSS-1I became the eighth and last satellite to India be launched into orbit so that full navigation could be created. In the following weeks, the authorities India will begin to create many navigation applications. The corresponding chips for mobile phones and WiFi transmitters have already been developed.

India does not exclude the launch of new satellites to improve the accuracy of navigation, which is needed for strategically important purposes. The country has been working on its navigation since 1999. By April 2018, IRNSS is the sixth largest national geolocation system in the world.

As The Register wrote, by April 13, 2018, the IRNSS coverage area covers only India and a radius of 1,500 km, but this is enough to launch its intercontinental ballistic solid-fuel missiles Agni-5 with a range of 5,000 km.^[2]

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