With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements:
- 1.IRNSS has three satellites in geostationary and four satellites in geosynchronous orbits.
- 2.IRNSS covers entire India and about 5500 sq. km beyond its borders.
- 3.India will have its own satellite navigation system with full global coverage by the middle of 2019.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
Only statement 1 is correct: IRNSS (now called NavIC) has seven satellites, three in geostationary orbit and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit. It is a regional system that reaches about 1,500 km beyond India's boundary, not 5,500 sq. km, and India has announced no global-coverage system for 2019.
- ✓ 1. ISRO describes a seven-satellite constellation: three satellites in geostationary orbit and four in inclined geosynchronous orbit.
- ✗ 2. The primary service area is India plus the region up to 1,500 km from its boundary. The statement gives 5,500 sq. km, which is a wrong figure and the wrong kind of unit for a distance.
- ✗ 3. IRNSS is 'an independent regional navigation satellite system', meant for India and its neighbourhood. ISRO's own description names no plan for global coverage by 2019.
Remember · IRNSS/NavIC: 7 satellites (3 geostationary + 4 inclined geosynchronous); primary service area is India plus 1,500 km beyond its boundary; regional, not global.
Sources
- ISRO: Satellite Navigation Services (NavIC) ↗ “Three satellites of the constellation are placed in geostationary orbit, at 32.5°E, 83°E and 129.5°E respectively, and four satellites are placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit”
- ISRO: IRNSS Programme ↗ “IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system being developed by India. It is designed to provide accurate position information service to users in India as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·