India getting closer to having own GPS system

India is moving closer to having its home-grown independent satellite navigation system as New Delhi aims an alternative to the US-based Global Positioning System that the country currently relies on.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) last week successfully launched a navigation satellite into Earth’s orbit. The satellite is the sixth in a series of seven planned to orbit the planet, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Successful launch of IRNSS-1F is an accomplishment we all take immense pride in,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a statement, lauding the efforts of the scientists from ISRO after the launch.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, or IRNSS, is designed to provide accurate position information to users in India as well as the region extending 1,500 kilometres from its boundary.

The satellites will also be able to track the location and positioning of vehicles, provide information to assist during natural disasters and can be integrated with mobile phones and used to provide visual and voice navigation for drivers.

“The launch of the seventh and final satellite that will complete the constellation for the satellite-navigation service is scheduled for next month,” the ISRO said in a statement.

Satellites in the navigation system run from 1A to 1G. The first, IRNSS-1A, was launched in July 2013.

The organisation claims, once functional, IRNSS will provide two kinds of services: one which is open source and one which is restricted and strongly encrypted, provided only to “authorised users”.

The Indian satellite system has been dubbed as a low-cost option for sending satellites into orbit and is gaining world-wide recognition.

New Delhi put a satellite into orbit of Mars in 2014 becoming the first country in Asia to reach the red planet. It also became the only country to have done so on a maiden voyage and spending the least amount of money on the mission.