The name's a contraction of 'navigation with Indian constellation'.
PM Modi announced the name soon after the launch on Thursday.
India
on Thursday took the final step towards completing its own satellite
navigation system, a development heralded by the Indian Prime Minister
as making the nation self-reliant in the field of space-based
positioning. PM Narendra Modi also christened the navigation system
'Navic', which in Hindi means 'sailor' or 'navigator'. The name is also supposed to be
a contraction of the phrase 'navigation with Indian constellation'.
The
seventh satellite to make up the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite
System (IRNSS), called the IRNSS-1G, was launched into space via the
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C33 rocket from Sriharikota
spaceport in southwestern India at 12:50pm IST.
However,
unlike the widely used United States' Global Positioning System (GPS) or
Russia's Glonass, the Indian system will provide positioning
information only in India and 1,500 square kilometres (580 square miles)
around its periphery.
"Until now we were dependent on
their systems, now we are self-reliant," Prime Minister Narendra Modi
said in a televised congratulatory message to scientists at the Indian
Space Research Organisation (Isro).
"With this successful
launch, we will determine our own paths powered by our technology. This
is a great gift to our people from the scientists," PM Modi said.
"Our
efforts will help not only India but we can help fellow SAARC (South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) nations as well," the Prime
Minister added.
The Prime Minister in his televised address added, "The world will know this as 'Navic' as a mark of tribute to the poor fishermen of the country who have set an age-old tradition of courage. This will be our own 'Navic', which will be in our mobile phones and give us our location and show us the way and the destination."
The system, which will be fully
operational in a month's time, offers applications for marine and air
navigation and can be integrated into mobile phones for use by hikers or
fishermen, for example.
In a tweet via the PMO India
Twitter handle, the Indian Prime Minister added, "The benefits
from this new technology will benefit our people, our fishermen. The
world will know it as Navic: PM @narendramodi," referring to the new
name of the satellite navigation system and the possible applications
across industries.
The Prime Minister followed up the
tweet with another, and touted the
development to be a feather in the cap of the Make in India campaign,
saying, "This is example of @makeinindia, made in India and made for
Indians. 125 crore Indians have got a new Navic: PM @narendramodi."
Providing
a clue as to the origins of the name 'Navic', BJP MP Anurag Thakur
tweeted,
"Our Indian GPS is called Navic (Navigation with Indian Constellation)
& is another success story under @makeinindia ! #IRNSS @isro."
Over
the next six months, all the IRNSS satellites will be stabilised in
their final orbital positions, Isro spokesman Deviprasad Karnik said.
A
ground control centre in the southern city of Bangalore and tracking
stations across the country will monitor the system round the clock.
Isro
scientists have been riding high since an Indian spacecraft
successfully reached Mars in 2014 on a shoe-string budget, winning
Asia's race to the Red Planet and sparking an outpouring of national
pride.
The eight countries that make up SAARC are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
China and the European Union are both developing global satellite navigation systems.
NavIC Rollout: No Timeline Fixed For Implementing Indigenous GPS Alternative, MeitY Says27 September 2022
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