ISRO launched its seventh and final satellite IRNSS or NAVIC for the purpose of developing India’s own Navigation Satellite System on 28th of April, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This will be similar to USA’s GPS which employs 24 satellites.
ISRO has claimed that this system will give an accuracy of around 10 m. The location system in the US and most European countries is more precise as compared to India. For example, a postcode in the UK CF10 3EY belongs to one particular property and the navigation guide. So if a person is driving from point A (random post code) to Point B (CF10 3EY) the precision of the end point is very high. The US on the other hand has a lesser accuracy because one ZIP code over there may cover a larger area. In India however, one PIN code covers 22 sqkm and 8200 people at an average. This makes the accuracy a major issue.
With the new technology that ISRO’s seven sisters promise, accuracy will no longer be an issue. In order to do this, a small additional hardware is recommended by ISRO for the handheld devices, so that the devices can receive S-Band signals from the satellites, along with a software that receives L-Band signals.
The satellites will be covering areas up to 1500 KM from the Indian borders. PM Modi has already announced that in an act of selflessness, the nation will allow its neighbouring countries to use the facility, but to no positive response, yet. The ultimate aim is to make this network global. But this might take some effort from the government, as India’s political relations with the neighbours can hardly be called ‘stable’.
Ever been annoyed with your OLA driver who either doesn’t know how to use Google Maps Navigation (embedded in the company’s app) or has been mislead? Ever been stuck on a road trip because even Google Maps is confused? Ever been annoyed with the delivery not reaching on time? Well, ‘Modi Sarkaar’ promises to make all of that go away.
