The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch its NVS-03 navigation satellite aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket at 11:51 pm on October 30, Chairman V Narayanan announced during his visit to the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala.
The mission is aimed at strengthening India’s indigenous navigation capabilities and maintaining the continuity of services offered by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), popularly known as NavIC.
NVS-03 is the third satellite in India’s next-generation navigation series. It is designed to improve the existing system, providing positioning, navigation and timing services across the country and up to 1,500 km beyond its geographical boundaries.
The satellite will feature an indigenous atomic clock along with procured atomic clocks. It will also introduce the L1 frequency signal, complementing the existing L5 and S-band signals to expand navigation services.
Narayanan said the launch would be ISRO’s fifth mission of the year, including a private launch. He highlighted the system’s applications in strategic operations, aviation, real-time train tracking, vehicle monitoring and navigation for boats and ships.
According to the ISRO chief, the launch will take the number of operational navigation satellites in orbit to four, including one carrying an indigenous atomic clock, strengthening India’s access to precise navigation and timing services.
The mission will be the 20th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The GSLV-F18 rocket is scheduled to place NVS-03 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Reflecting on the country’s technological progress, Narayanan said India had advanced from relying on stars and the Moon for navigation to developing satellite-based services designed to benefit ordinary citizens.
