ISRO Launches GSLV-F18 Carrying NVS-03 Satellite to Upgrade Navigation Network

UPDATE - follow-up to ISRO set to launch GSLV-F18 carrying navigation satellite NVS-03 | LIVE: The GSLV-F18 rocket has lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at Sriharikota, carrying the 2,250-kilogram NVS-03 navigation satellite into orbit.

Mission Details

This flight marks ISRO's third space launch of 2026 and is a key step to revive India's ageing NavIC navigation satellite constellation. Around 18 minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff, the rocket is set to deploy the satellite into its initial Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. ISRO will then use onboard thrusters to raise it to its final orbit. The spacecraft features an indigenous atomic clock alongside procured atomic clocks, plus the L1 signal to join existing L5 and S-band signals.

Fleet Status

Only three of the constellation's 11 satellites can currently perform their primary functions. These include first-generation satellites IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1I, and second-generation satellite NVS-01. IRNSS-1B has already crossed its 10-year lifespan, while IRNSS-1I may work until about 2028. The NVS-02 satellite, launched in January 2025, failed to raise its orbit after its engines did not fire. Restoring basic core services requires at least four operational satellites, meaning ISRO needs further launches like NVS-04 and NVS-05.

Context

NavIC serves as India's home-grown alternative to foreign satellite systems like the U.S. GPS, China's BeiDou, and Russia's GLONASS. Maintaining a steady schedule of space launches is vital for space agencies to replace ageing hardware before existing satellites stop working.