Indian aviation regulator certifies Gagan navigation system

India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has certified the GPS-aided, geo-augmented navigation (Gagan) system to service the aviation sector with the required navigation performance, the Indian space agency said Saturday.

"The certification will enable the aircraft fitted with satellite-based augmentation system to use Gagan signal in space for en-route navigation and non-precision approaches without vertical guidance over Indian air space," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement here.

India is the fourth country to offer safety of life, space-based satellite navigation services to the aviation sector.

The Gagan signal in space will bridge the coverage areas between the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) and Multi-functional Satellite Augmented System (MSAS) of Japan and offer seamless navigation to the aviation sector.

Developed by the space agency and the state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI), Gagan is part of the global navigation satellite system to offer precision approach services over the Indian land mass

"The Gagan signal is being broadcast through our two geostationary earth orbit satellites - GSAT-8 and GSAT-10 - covering the entire Indian flight information region and beyond," the statement noted.

GSAT-8 was launched May 21, 2011 and GSAT-10 Sept 29, 2012 onboard the European Space Agency's Ariane-V rocket from its Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

An on-orbit spare Gagan transponder will be flown on GSAT-15 in the near future.