ForumIAS LATEST
- Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: A Textbook That Teaches You How to Think Ethically Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | Forum Residential Coaching (FRC) for UPSC preparation Click Here to know more →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 10th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
News: ISRO informed that the atomic clock of the satellite IRNSS-1F stopped working on March 13, 2026, causing the loss of positioning data from that satellite.
About Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS / NavIC)
- The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is an independent regional navigation satellite system for positioning services.
- It is also called as Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).
- Developed by: It is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- Aim: The system was conceived to remove dependence on the satellite systems of other countries for navigation, especially for strategic sectors.
- Covered Area: It provides accurate position information over India and the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area.
- Consisting of: The system is designed as a constellation of seven satellites supported by a network of ground stations.
- The system uses three satellites placed in geostationary orbit (GSO) and four satellites placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit (GEO).
- The ground segment includes a control centre, timing facility, monitoring stations and two-way ranging stations operating continuously.
- Key features
- Independent navigation system: It is a stand-alone indigenous satellite navigation system under the complete control of India.
- High accuracy positioning: It provides position accuracy of better than 20 m in the primary service area.
- Two types of services: It offers Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for all users and Restricted Service (RS) for authorised users.
- Multi-frequency signals: NavIC satellites transmit positioning signals in L5 and S frequency bands.
- Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS): Major global navigation systems include GPS (United States), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European Union), and BeiDou (China).
