Chennai: GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation or Gagan will become operational in February this year. “We will remove the code that has been set for the last one year to use Gagan on a test basis so that anyone with a receiver and access to the application can use the satellite-based navigation system,” said S. V. Satish, GM-Air Traffic Management, Gagan project, Airports Authority of India (AAI). Its service area would be restricted to the Indian subcontinent and the Indian flight region.
Satish said that it could improve on the 25-m accuracy and integrity information provided by GPS. The aviation sector would benefit the most, he said, as it need not depend on ground-based navigational aids.
“We will have aircraft develop procedure based on Gagan. It will help provide vertical guidance, thereby shortening the route and resulting in less fuel consumption. We can also create flexible routes and noise pollution will be reduced.”
However, Gagan’s full incorporation into Indian aviation would be a gradual transition, taking from three years to a decade, as “Aircraft need to be equipped with a receiver to get its signals,” Satish pointed out. He further said that there could be heavy costs to be incurred to integrate Gagan into old aircraft. The aviation industry would therefore be given enough time to merge into the new system.
Aircraft manufacturers have already been given the platform to receive signals from Gagan in the Satellite Based Augmented System (SBAS) receiver. According to the AAI, India joins the US, Europe and Japan to get on to the SBAS bandwagon.
“A little improvement to the present GPS system is enough to receive signals from Gagan,” he said, adding that the cost of the basic receiver chip starts at $10, the complete receiver system working out to $3000.
Next: Transportation, agri can use too
Transportation, agri can use too
N. Arun Kumar | DC
Chennai: GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (Gagan) was originally designed for the aviation sector, but the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have decided to extend its use for civilian purposes too, including agriculture and transportation.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) had on January 15 conducted a meeting with non-aviation sector representatives in New Delhi to promote Gagan’s use and that of the Indian global navigation satellite system.
S. V. Satish, general manager (air traffic management) Gagan project, AAI, said that Gagan would be used in precision agriculture, transportation, railway anti-collision systems and other civilian applications.
K. Rajesh, a network engineer who uses satellites for weather and communication purposes, said that there needed to be an indigenous satellite network as one could not depend on foreign satellites.
“Most of our missiles use foreign satellites for GPS tracking, which is not practical were a war to break out as foreign countries would not allow us to use their satellites. It’s good that AAI and ISRO have agreed to let Gagan be used for civilian purposes too — but it doesn’t make a big difference for civilians whether they use Gagan, the European EGNOS or the Japanese MSAS,” he said.
