NavIC

Context: Navigation with Indian Constellation (NAVIC) is India’s indigenous global navigation satellite system.

• NAVIC consists of a constellation of three geostationary, four geosynchronous and two on-standby satellites.
• NAVIC will facilitate accurate real-time positioning and timing services over India and the region around it extending to 1,500 km.
• NavIC, is as good as GPS of the United States in terms of position accuracy and availability in its service region.
  • NavIC satellites are placed at a higher orbit than the GPS of United States. NavIC satellites are placed in geostationary orbit (GEO) & geosynchronous orbit (GSO) with an altitude of about 36,000 km; GPS satellites are placed in medium earth orbit (MEO) with an altitude of about 20,000 km.
• NavIC uses dual frequency bands, which improves accuracy of dual frequency receivers by enabling them to correct atmospheric errors through simultaneous use of two frequencies. It also helps in better reliability and availability because the signal from either frequency can serve the positioning requirement equally well.

Applications of NAVIC

• Terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation
• Disaster management
• Vehicle tracking and fleet management
• Integration with mobile phones
• Precise timing, mapping and geodetic data capture
• Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travelers
• Visual and voice navigation for drivers

Source: PIB