Photo: ReutersNew Delhi: To ensure that strategic and crucial sectors are not dependent on US-made Global Positioning System (GPS), India today took a major step towards indigenisation as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s regional positioning system ‘NAVIC’ will now rely on Indian atomic clocks. These atomic clocks are synchronised with the atomic clock of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), France, which provides the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) to the world. There are some 400 atomic clocks in the world and India has 4-5 of them. The space agency is working to build its own Indian version of GPS—the NAVIC—and has launched its own Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). “The long-term plan is to emphasis on using NAVIC (Navigation Indian Constellation) in India.

Source: Mint August 04, 2017 13:18 UTC