India is launching a new satellite IRNSS-1H next week to replace the malfunctioning IRNSS-1A. IRNSS-1A, a component of India's very own global positioning system (NavIC), had developed a glitch after its three rubidium atomic clocks had stopped functioning earlier this year.

The Indian regional navigational satellite system (IRNSS) with the operational name of NavIC, will be joined by an eighth satellite IRNSS-1H which will serve as a backup for IRNSS-1A on 31st August. IRNSS offers services like terrestrial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, navigation aide for hikers and travelers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.

"PSLV-C39/IRNSS-1H Mission is scheduled to be launched on August 31 at 18:59 Hrs from SDSC SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre), Sriharikota," read a statement of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

The spacecraft weighs over 1,400 kg and has been built and tested by ISRO along with a consortium of six small and medium industries.

ISRO had launched seven satellites - IRNSS-1G on April 28, 2016, IRNSS-1F (March 10, 2016), IRNSS-1E (January 20, 2016), IRNSS-1D (March 28, 2015), IRNSS-1C (October 16, 2014), IRNSS-1B (April 4, 2014) and IRNSS-1A on July 1, 2013.

"The upcoming launch is a replacement for the malfunctioning IRNSS 1A, which has become ineffective due to malfunctioning of clocks by a European supplier. Two satellites were kept as a replacement by ISRO, if something goes wrong in other seven satellites.

These are all part of the NavIC project, which is aimed at developing reliable indigenous satellite navigation capabilities rather than depend on global systems like the Global Positioning System of the US, the Russian GLONASS, the European Galileo and the Chinese Beidou. There is also a possibility that India may share the system with other South Asian nations as well," Group Captain Ajey Lele (Retd.), Senior Fellow of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and Head of its Centre for Strategic Technologies, told Sputnik.

ISRO has claimed that NavIC IS way more accurate than foreign competitors and intends to offer navigation system for commercial purpose next year onwards. NavIC will provide standard positioning service to all users, including mobile service providers, with a position accuracy of 5 meters. The GPS, on the other hand, has a position accuracy of 20-30 meters.

Source: Sputnik News

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