Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated scientists and engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the successful launch of the GSLV-F18 rocket carrying the next-generation navigation satellite NVS-03. He said the mission would strengthen India’s indigenous satellite navigation system, NavIC, and advance the country’s efforts towards self-reliance in critical technologies.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister highlighted the satellite’s enhanced capabilities and said it would further improve navigation services for the benefit of people.
PM Modi said the dedication and ingenuity of India’s space scientists continued to make the country proud, adding that the mission marked an important step towards strengthening the country’s indigenous navigation capabilities.
ISRO launched the 2,250-kg NVS-03 satellite aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Friday. The satellite successfully separated from the launch vehicle and was placed in its intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
NVS-03 is the third satellite in ISRO’s next-generation navigation satellite series, designed to ensure continuity and enhance the capabilities of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), popularly known as NavIC.
The satellite carries an indigenous atomic clock alongside procured atomic clocks. It also incorporates the L1 navigation signal in addition to the existing L5 and S-band signals, expanding the system’s capabilities and improving its potential applications.
NavIC is designed to provide navigation coverage across India’s landmass and an area extending up to 1,500 kilometres beyond the country’s geopolitical boundary.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the successful launch had restored the NavIC constellation to its minimum operational configuration of four satellites. He added that the GSLV-F18 rocket had precisely injected the satellite into its intended elliptical orbit.
Highlighting India’s progress in launch operations, Narayanan noted that the interval between two successive GSLV missions was 56 days, the shortest turnaround time achieved so far.
Speaking to ANI after the launch, the ISRO Chairman said two indigenous atomic clocks were already functioning in orbit, while a third had now been deployed aboard NVS-03.
He explained that seven satellites were envisaged under the regional navigation programme to provide positioning, navigation and timing services across India and up to 1,500 kilometres beyond its borders.
Narayanan also said the completion of the constellation would be necessary before navigation services could be integrated with mobile systems for wider public use.
The GSLV-F18 mission marks the 20th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and represents another step towards strengthening the country’s independent space-based navigation infrastructure.
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