Compiled from reports by ISRO and Newsgram. See the original articles linked below.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has reported that its GSLV-F18 rocket successfully placed the NVS-03 navigation satellite into its intended orbit. According to ISRO's mission page, the rocket lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, known as SHAR, and delivered the satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. ISRO described the mission as the 20th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, or GSLV.
The outlets differ on the date. ISRO's mission page carries the date October 28, 2026, while Newsgram reported that the rocket placed the satellite in orbit on October 30, 2026.
The satellite
ISRO says NVS-03 is the third satellite of a next-generation navigation series intended to provide continuity of service for the existing IRNSS satellites. According to ISRO, it carries an indigenous atomic clock alongside atomic clocks that were procured from outside. ISRO also states that the satellite adds an L1 signal to the L5 and S signals already in use, with coverage over India and a region extending about 1,500 km beyond its borders.
Newsgram reported that ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the rocket injected the satellite, which weighs roughly 2,250 kg, precisely into its intended elliptical orbit. Newsgram described NVS-03 as a second-generation satellite of NavIC, the regional system formerly called IRNSS. It said that, unlike the global GPS, NavIC is a regional system meant mainly for India's civilian and strategic needs, and that the idea arose after the 1999 Kargil war, when India could not obtain GPS access.
Clocks and earlier setbacks
Newsgram reported that the second-generation satellites carry rubidium atomic clocks built in India, replacing clocks that the country had earlier imported from a Swiss company. It said they also support the L1 band, which GPS uses as well.
According to Newsgram, many first-generation satellites lost much of their usefulness after their onboard atomic clocks failed. It reported that in March 2026 the last working clock on IRNSS-1F stopped, which left three working satellites, fewer than the government's stated minimum of four. Newsgram also reported that NVS-02, launched in 2025, did not become operational because of a thruster failure.
Plans for the constellation
Newsgram reported that ISRO aims to keep at least four of its seven navigation satellites working, each with at least one indigenous clock. It said ISRO also plans to raise the number of clocks on each satellite from three to five, to provide backup and reduce reliance on imports. Citing The Hindu, Newsgram wrote that NVS-04 and NVS-05 are expected to be launched by December 2026.
The ISRO page also links to a mission brochure, launch video and a photo gallery of the flight.
Sources
- GSLV-F18/NVS-03 MISSION (ISRO, 2026-10-28)
- No GPS needed, India launches its own navigational satellite NVS-03 to achieve autonomy in regional positioning and navigation (Newsgram, 2026-10-31)
This article was compiled with AI assistance from the reports listed above and reviewed by GMA before publishing.