India’s recent achievements in its space missions have all the potential to inspire the rest of the developing world.
The aspiring economic powerhouse in Asia made history on September 24 by becoming the first nation to reach Mars and enter the planet’s orbit in its maiden mission.
The Mangalyaan spacecraft cost just $74mn, a mere one-ninth of the cost of Nasa’s $671mn Maven, which began to successfully orbit the red planet on September 21.
Last Thursday India moved closer to having its own satellite navigation system as it smoothly launched a satellite. If the success of its Mars mission catapulted India into the scientific world stage, the latest accomplishment leaves the country only a step away from joining a select group of space-faring nations that have such a system.
With the successful launch last week of the third of seven satellites planned under the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), India is just a satellite and a couple of months away from having its own satellite navigation system.
This puts India at the doorstep of an exclusive space club that has the US, Russia, China and Japan as members. The navigational system, developed indigenously by India, is designed to provide accurate position information service to users within the country and up to 1,500km from the nation’s boundary line.
Though IRNSS is a seven-satellite system, it could be made operational with four satellites, according to officials of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The fourth navigation satellite is expected to be launched this December. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015.
The 1,425kg IRNSS-1C satellite has two kinds of payloads - navigation and ranging. The navigation payload will transmit navigation service signals to the users. A highly accurate rubidium atomic clock is part of the navigation payload.
The ranging payload consists of C-band transponder which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite. The satellite has a life span of around 10 years.
The first satellite in the series, the IRNSS-1A, was launched in July 2013 and the second IRNSS-1B in April 2014. Both have already started functioning from their designated orbital slots.
The system, expected to provide a position accuracy of better than 20m in the primary service area, is similar to the global positioning system of the US, Glonass of Russia, Galileo of Europe, China’s Beidou or the Japanese Quasi Zenith Satellite System.
The system will be used for terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, integration with mobile phones, mapping and geodetic data capture, visual and voice navigation for drivers and others.
While the ISRO is silent on the navigation system’s strategic application, it is clear that the IRNSS will be used for defence purposes as well. By adding more satellites, the service area can be expanded.
Though the achievements are laudable, India cannot afford to rest on its laurels. There are a number of challenges to be overcome. The slow execution of projects and inadequate government support are hampering India’s efforts to compete with China and Russia as a cheaper option for launching satellites.
Encouraged by the recent successes, the Indian government has to ensure that its space programme continues to gather momentum.
