BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its next-generation navigation satellite, NVS-03, at 11.51 pm on Friday from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.
The 50-metre-tall, three-stage GSLV-F18 rocket, with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes, carried the 2,250-kg satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The launch followed a 24-hour countdown and marked the 20th flight of ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
NVS-03 is designed to strengthen India's indigenous Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, taking the number of active NavIC satellites to four. The system provides positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services across mainland India and a region extending 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. These services support maritime safety, vehicle tracking and emergency alerts.
The satellite carries an indigenously developed Rubidium atomic clock to improve positioning accuracy. It also broadcasts signals in the civil L1 band, along with the L5 and S bands, making it compatible with consumer devices such as smartphones, smartwatches and fitness trackers. The satellite is expected to reduce India's reliance on foreign navigation systems such as the US-owned GPS.
The launch follows the failure of the NVS-02 mission in January 2025, when a fuel valve connector malfunction prevented the satellite from reaching its intended orbit. Following the failure, ISRO reviewed the satellite's engineering configuration and introduced changes to the pyrotechnic valves to ensure the propellant system functioned as required.
NVS-03 has been placed in an elliptical GTO with a perigee of 170 km and an apogee of 37,023 km, at an inclination of 20.75 degrees to the equator. ISRO will carry out orbit-raising manoeuvres over the next few days to place the satellite in its final geosynchronous slot at 32.5 degrees East, from where it will become operational.
Soon after the launch, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan announced its success. He said, "I am delighted to announce the successful launch of placing the 2250kg launch vehicle in the intended orbit. It has reached 170.3km/38,080km. It's a precise launch and the best performance achieved so far."
He added the GSLV has so far placed 34ton satellite in the orbit. This is the shortest turn around time of the GSLV for launch done in 56days. The last launch was a month back of EOS-05.
“The Navic constellation is now strengthened and restored in orbit. This is a national strategic asset to position the satellite in the intended orbit. This is important for one nation one time project. Indigenously developed with indigenous clocks it will help in tracking trains, aircrafts, ships and other civilian applications," he added.
ISRO teams said the EOS-05 satellite, launched on September 4 aboard GSLV-F17, had been sending outstanding images. They also said NVS-03 was the shortest gap between two GSLV launches. The satellite's solar panels had been deployed and its health was good. Information from the satellite is expected to start relaying in a week.