ISRO successfully launches next-gen satellite to boost India’s navigation network
New Delhi: India has taken another step towards strengthening its independent satellite navigation capabilities with the successful launch of NVS-03, the latest spacecraft in the second-generation NavIC satellite series.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the 2,232-kg satellite aboard its GSLV-F18 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 11.51 pm on Friday.
The 50-metre-tall, three-stage launch vehicle carried the satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). NVS-03 will subsequently undergo a series of orbit-raising manoeuvres before reaching its designated geosynchronous position at 32.5 degrees East.
The satellite is the third in the second-generation Navigation Satellite series and is aimed at improving the reliability and coverage of India's Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), the country's indigenous regional navigation system.
A key feature of NVS-03 is its indigenous atomic clock, alongside procured atomic clocks, to support accurate navigation and timing services. The spacecraft also introduces the L1 navigation frequency alongside the existing L5 and S-band signals, expanding NavIC's capabilities and compatibility.
The enhanced system is designed to provide navigation coverage across India's landmass and an area extending approximately 1,500 km beyond its geopolitical boundaries.
NavIC delivers Position, Velocity and Timing (PVT) services through two categories: the Standard Positioning Service (SPS), available to civilian users, and the encrypted Restricted Service (RS), intended for authorised users.
ISRO plans to deploy five second-generation navigation satellites to reinforce the existing constellation and maintain uninterrupted services with improved capabilities.
With IANS inputs