Hyderabad: India will develop its own version of the global positioning system by launching seven satellites in the next six years, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan Nair said here Thursday.
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), expected to be functional by 2012, will be used for surveying, telecommunications, transport, identifying disaster areas and public safety among others.
The satellites will be at a higher geostationary orbit to have a larger signal footprint and lower number of satellites to map the region, he said.
The first of the proposed satellites, developed at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, is expected to be launched in 2009.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the 58th International Astronautical Congress, Nair said India had the capability to launch a mission to Mars but there were no concrete proposals for research on the ‘Red Planet’.
“The technological capability exists. We can use the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) to send a 500kg payload to Mars,” he said.
However, he said to undertake a manned mission to Mars, a very powerful rocket system was required to propel the spacecraft to the planet.
On putting man in space, he said ISRO was preparing a project report on undertaking a human spaceflight.
“We will submit the report to the government by March for its approval,” he said.
On Chandrayaan-I, he said the mission objective was to find the basic signature of evolution of the earth, explore the terrain and look for minerals, and explore the possibility of setting up a base which could be used for future planetary missions.
“The world is highly appreciative of our space applications programme and others, including the developed nations, are trying to copy it,” he said.
The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), expected to be functional by 2012, will be used for surveying, telecommunications, transport, identifying disaster areas and public safety among others.
The satellites will be at a higher geostationary orbit to have a larger signal footprint and lower number of satellites to map the region, he said.
The first of the proposed satellites, developed at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, is expected to be launched in 2009.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the 58th International Astronautical Congress, Nair said India had the capability to launch a mission to Mars but there were no concrete proposals for research on the ‘Red Planet’.
“The technological capability exists. We can use the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) to send a 500kg payload to Mars,” he said.
However, he said to undertake a manned mission to Mars, a very powerful rocket system was required to propel the spacecraft to the planet.
On putting man in space, he said ISRO was preparing a project report on undertaking a human spaceflight.
“We will submit the report to the government by March for its approval,” he said.
On Chandrayaan-I, he said the mission objective was to find the basic signature of evolution of the earth, explore the terrain and look for minerals, and explore the possibility of setting up a base which could be used for future planetary missions.
“The world is highly appreciative of our space applications programme and others, including the developed nations, are trying to copy it,” he said.