ISRO is worried due to the failure of the atomic clock, what could be its impact?

Updated: 17-03-2026, 08.00 PM

What is the news?

New concerns have emerged regarding India’s indigenous navigation system NavIC. One of its important satellite IRNSS-1F has suffered a technical fault. According to ISRO scientists, the atomic clock installed in this satellite has stopped working. This failure has raised questions about the accuracy and reliable functioning of the system, which is now being continuously monitored. This incident of atomic clock malfunction came to light on March 13, 2026.

What was the impact of the damage?

Atomic clock is the most important part in navigation satellite, because it helps in determining the location by telling the exact time. The loss of IRNSS-1F’s last working clock may render the satellite vulnerable to providing accurate and consistent positioning data. Even a slight mistake in time can change the location by kilometers, hence this fault is being considered as a very serious and worrying situation.

Such problem has come up before also

This is not the first time that atomic clock failure has occurred in NavIC satellite. Even before this, similar problems have been seen repeatedly in many satellites. Due to continuous occurrence of such malfunctions, the concern of scientists has increased even more. If more satellites are affected in the future, it could have a huge impact on vital sectors like aviation, maritime navigation and defence.

ISRO started preparations for reform

ISRO is continuously working actively to fix this problem. Scientists are now increasingly emphasizing on developing indigenous atomic clocks, so that dependence on external technology can be reduced. Apart from this, plans are also being made to launch new satellites and add strong backup systems. The purpose of these steps is to make the NavIC system more robust and prevent such problems in future.