Tags: ISRO, GPS, Satellite Positioning, Satellite Launch
Publication: IBTimes.co.in
Publication Date: 06/26/2013

The IRNSS 1A undergoing checks in preparation for its July 1 launch aboard a PSLV-XL rocket. Image credit: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is scheduled to launch the country’s first dedicated Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS 1A) on July 1, 2013 aboard an Indian PSLV-XL launch vehicle. The satellite is the first of the seven navigational satellites that ISRO is planning to launch for an independent navigational satellite system.

At least four satellites are required for a smartphone or a vehicle to use the signals and determine the positional fix. ISRO will launch the outstanding six satellites between 2014 and 2015 to build a constellation of seven satellites aimed at helping users to determine their location and time independent from the United States’ (GPS).

With the system’s liftoff, India joins the list of countries including China and the European Union (EU) to have an indigenous version of GPS.

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