ISRO successfully launched the NVS-03 navigation satellite aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket from Sriharikota on October 31. This mission placed the satellite into its intended orbit to strengthen India’s NavIC system. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the mission was completed with a turnaround time of just 56 days between two successive launches.
New Delhi, Oct 31: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its next-generation navigation satellite NVS-03 aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket from Sriharikota, marking another step towards strengthening India's indigenous satellite navigation system, NavIC.
The rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh and placed the 2,232-kg satellite in its intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. It was the 20th flight of the GSLV.
NVS-03 is the third satellite in ISRO's second-generation navigation series. It carries an indigenous atomic clock and introduces the L1 frequency band alongside the existing L5 and S bands to improve navigation services and strengthen India's positioning and timing capabilities.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the mission was completed with a turnaround time of just 56 days between two successive GSLV launches, the shortest so far. He said NVS-03 carried the third indigenous atomic clock placed in orbit by India.
Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO team, saying the successful mission would strengthen NavIC and advance India's self-reliance in critical space technologies.