NavIC-3 launch on October 30: Smartphones to get precise location, phone production costs to fall

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its latest NavIC satellite on October 30, a mission aimed at giving users more accurate location data on smartphones, smartwatches and fitness trackers.

The satellite is expected to deliver reliable signals even in dense urban areas and among tall buildings. Google Maps, online taxi services and delivery apps are likely to work with greater precision as a result. To make this possible, the transponders on NavIC-3 have been designed to transmit a new L1 frequency signal, which is compatible with the radio frequency used in ordinary smartphones. This is also expected to bring down the cost of manufacturing phones.

The rocket and satellite have been readied at the First Launch Pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The satellite will be flown on a GSLV Mk II-F18 rocket. The final date and time will be fixed once the last safety clearance is received. The mission also signals ISRO’s return to its regular launch schedule after a few setbacks.

NavIC’s second generation

1. The satellite belongs to the second generation of India-built NavIC satellites. It has a mission life of 12 years and weighs 2,232 kg. Unlike the first generation, which used a foreign-made atomic clock, this satellite carries an atomic clock developed at the Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
2. A satellite navigation system needs at least four satellites in space at the same time to work. NavIC services had been in trouble after two satellites completed their lifespan and stopped functioning. The new satellite, NVS-03, is being launched on an urgent basis to fix this.
3. The Centre had directed ISRO to defer the uncrewed Gaganyaan flight and launch the NavIC satellite first. Two more satellites for the same purpose, NVS-04 and NVS-05, will also be launched soon.