GSLV-F18 puts NavIC satellite NVS-03 in orbit from Sriharikota; India’s navigation fleet back to four working satellites

A GSLV rocket lit up the night sky over Sriharikota at 11:51 pm on Friday, 30 October, and the result ISRO was waiting for followed. GSLV-F18 delivered NVS-03 into the geosynchronous transfer orbit it was aiming for, and the space agency declared the mission accomplished.

The launch, from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, was the 20th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. NVS-03, which weighs about 2,250 kg, is the third of ISRO’s second-generation navigation satellites, built to keep NavIC, India’s own satellite navigation system, running without a break.

NavIC back to strength

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said NavIC once again has the four working satellites it needs at the very least to function. He added that the mission came 56 days after the previous GSLV launch, the shortest gap between two GSLV flights so far. Union Minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the ISRO team.

The satellite carries an atomic clock built in India alongside procured clocks. Besides the L5 and S-band signals NavIC already uses, it adds an L1 signal, so that more kinds of everyday receivers can pick up NavIC. Its coverage spans India and a belt reaching about 1,500 km beyond the country’s borders.

The NVS-02 lesson

The previous satellite in the series, NVS-02, reached a transfer orbit in January 2025 but could not climb to its working orbit because of a fault in its propulsion valves. Before this flight, ISRO changed the sequence in which the propulsion valves on NVS-03 are activated.

NVS-03 will now fire its own engine in the days ahead, lifting its orbit step by step to its final geosynchronous slot. Checks and commissioning will follow before it starts serving NavIC users.