ISRO is set to achieve a historic milestone with its 100th rocket launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The countdown began on January 28 for the launch of the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) satellite, marking the 17th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
The rocket, GSLV-F15, is carrying the NVS-02 satellite, the second in a series of next-generation navigation satellites designed to enhance India’s indigenous regional navigation system. Scheduled for liftoff on January 29 at 6:23 AM IST, this mission comes under the leadership of ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, who assumed office earlier this month.
NavIC, India’s regional navigation satellite system, is designed to provide precise Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services within the Indian subcontinent and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders. NVS-02, developed by the U R Satellite Centre, weighs 2,250 kg and carries advanced navigation payloads operating in L1, L5, and S bands, alongside C-band ranging payloads.
The satellite is a critical addition to the NavIC constellation, which includes five second-generation satellites aimed at ensuring service continuity and augmenting capabilities. These advancements are expected to bolster navigation applications for terrestrial, aerial, and maritime sectors, precision agriculture, fleet management, IoT-based applications, emergency response, and even mobile location services.
The NVS-02 follows its predecessor, NVS-01, launched in May 2023, as part of ISRO’s efforts to strengthen India’s space-based infrastructure. ISRO highlighted that this launch reaffirms its commitment to enabling reliable navigation services and advancing the nation’s technological prowess.
The 50.9-meter-tall GSLV rocket, equipped with an indigenous cryogenic upper stage, will lift off from the second launch pad, marking another leap in ISRO’s quest to expand India’s space ambitions. The launch will be live-streamed on ISRO’s official YouTube channel, allowing viewers worldwide to witness this monumental event.
With this mission, ISRO also underscores the significance of indigenous innovation in building robust navigation systems that cater to diverse sectors and applications.