In a first, IndiGo uses Indian navigation system to land aircraft

What is the News?

An IndiGo-operated ATR 72-600 aircraft landed at Kishangarh airport using an approach process guided by GAGAN or GPS-aided GEO Augmented Navigation. 

With this trial, India has joined a small group comprising the US, Japan and Europe with its own satellite-based augmentation system(SBAS).

What is GAGAN?

Developed by: The Airport Authority of India(AAI) and Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO)

Purpose: It is a satellite-based augmentation system(SBAS) developed to provide the best possible navigational services over Indian FIR (Flight Information Region) with the capability of expanding to neighbouring FIRs.

Note: While GAGAN is primarily meant for aviation, it can provide benefits to several other segments such as intelligent transportation, maritime, highways, railways, security agencies, and telecom among others.

Working of GAGAN: GAGAN uses a system of ground stations – in Delhi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Jammu and Port Blair – to provide necessary augmentation to the GPS navigation signal. 

– A network of precisely surveyed ground reference stations is strategically positioned across the country to collect GPS satellite data. Using this information, the master control centre in Bengaluru generates messages to correct any signal errors. 

– These correction messages are then uplinked and broadcast through geostationary communication satellites to receivers onboard aircraft using the same frequency as GPS.

Coverage Area: GAGAN covers the area from Africa to Australia and has the capability to cater to 45 reference stations for expansion to neighbouring countries. 

The system is also interoperable with other international SBAS systems such as the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and the Japanese MTSAT Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS).

Source:  The post is based on the article “In a first, IndiGo uses Indian navigation system to land aircraft” published in Indian Express on 29th April 2022.