ISRO Gagan to give navigational support

ISRO has announced that it will provide navigational support to the Railways of the county through ‘GAGAN’ (GPS-aided geo-augmented navigation) system.

ISRO can give satellite-generated info to the railways through space technology-based tools which will give safety at unmanned level crossings, ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar stated.

There are host of necessities for using GAGAN in railways. We are providing some solutions, Kumar stated. GAGAN is a direction guide system developed by ISRO on the lines of GPS system of the USA.

Elaborating thereon, Kumar stated that at some places the railway tracks are under stress. If water accumulation happens, then based on digital elevation model information, other host of data which they generate can be given.

There is particular info provided for orienting the railway tracks, notably in mountainous regions, and additionally characteristic tracks which are most stable when going through tunnels. In all these things, space technology is beneficial, he added.

We are attempting to produce space technology-based tools for enabling them to deal with unmanned level crossings, he said.

GAGAN was together developed by the ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI) with a view to help aircraft in correct landing.

The GAGAN signal is being broadcast through 2 geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites – GSAT8 and GSAT10. With the utilization of GAGAN software system, a train would know the placement of any unmanned level crossing and soon as a warning signal can be given.

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