SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reached a major milestone on Wednesday, successfully launching its 100th rocket from Sriharikota. The GSLV-F15 rocket carried the second-generation navigation satellite, NVS-02, into orbit.
The launch took place from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 6:23 AM. Approximately 19 minutes after liftoff, the rocket successfully deployed NVS-02 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit at 322.93 km.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan highlighted that the organization has launched six generations of rockets, placing 548 satellites into orbit with a total weight of 120 tonnes, including 23 tonnes of foreign satellites. Notable missions include the Chandrayaan missions, the Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, and the launch of 104 satellites in a single mission.
“In the coming days, we will perform orbit-raising operations to place the satellite in its final orbit,” Narayanan said.
- Unnikrishnan Nair, Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, expressed confidence that ISRO will reach its 200th rocket launch milestone even faster, thanks to the vibrant ecosystem supporting space exploration.
This mission marked the 17th flight of the GSLV and the 11th flight featuring an indigenous cryogenic stage. It was also the eighth operational flight with this indigenous cryogenic technology.
NVS-02 follows the successful launch of NVS-01 on May 29, 2023, and will replace the IRNSS-1E satellite. The NVS-02 is equipped with navigation payloads in L1, L5, and S bands, along with a ranging payload in the C-band. It uses a combination of indigenous and procured atomic clocks for precise timekeeping, with the Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) at the core of its navigation payload.
NVS-02 is part of India’s NavIC system (Navigation with Indian Constellation), which provides accurate positioning, velocity, and timing services within India and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders. NavIC offers two services: the Standard Positioning Service (SPS), which provides position accuracy better than 20 meters and timing accuracy better than 40 nanoseconds, and the Restricted Service (RS).
Five second-generation NavIC satellites—NVS-01/02/03/04/05—are planned to enhance the NavIC constellation and ensure the continuity of services. The NVS series integrates L1-band SPS signals to expand NavIC’s reach.
NavIC has several key applications, including strategic uses, terrestrial, aerial, and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, geodetic surveying, fleet management, location-based services, satellite orbit determination, IoT applications, emergency services, and timing services.
