ISRO will launch its own version of GPS, and soon!

ISRO’s scientists would prove to the world in a meeting in Bangalore next Thursday how the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is far more accurate than the US’s GPS. They will discuss the feasibility of integrating this technology with navigation device manufacturers, mobile phone manufacturers and global information system (GIS) technology developers.

The seven IRNSS satellites that would help identify location are scheduled to be fully operational by July, 2016 Indian Space Research Organization has said. ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar has also said they’ll make the signals available ‘to the entire globe.’

So the million dollar question really is, how is IRNSS going to help us?

IRNSS will be accurate to almost 20 metres. That’s quite similar to GPS. It’s also going to collate data from that can further be used in services like car navigation, aircraft and shipping routes, smartphones and so on.

Last but not the least the Indian Army would be benefited the most. While almost every major country around the world has their own satellite navigation system, we’ll have one too. This can potentially change the face of India’s defense line, and revolutionize urban warfare.

Image credit: Indiatimes