NVS-02: ISRO launches 100th satellite from SDSC, Sriharikota

Sriharikota: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday morning successfully launched the NVS-02 - a part of India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) - onboard a GSLV rocket, marking its historic 100th satellite launch Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.

This launch aims to improve positioning accuracy, with five of seven satellites in space.

The GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th flight with the Indigenous Cryo stage. It is the 8th operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage. Three-stage, 167-foot-tall (50.9 meters) GSLV succeeded in its mission, delivering a satellite called NVS-02 to geostationary transfer orbit about 19 minutes after liftoff.

After the launch, ISRO chief Dr V Narayanan said, "I am extremely happy that the first launch of this year, 2025, has been accomplished — with GSLV-F15 launch vehicle precisely injecting the navigation satellite NVS-02 in the intended orbits. This mission is the 100th launch which is a very significant milestone. In this mission, the data has come; all vehicle systems are normal."

"The reward for hard work is more work. And now ISRO has got a very busy year ahead with many missions," he added.

According to ISRO, NVS-02, the second satellite in the NVS series, is configured with navigation payload in L1, L5, and S bands in addition to ranging payload in C-band like its predecessor-NVS-01. It is configured on standard I-2K bus platforms with a lift-off mass of 2,250 kg and a power handling capability of ~3 kW. It will be placed at 111.75ºE, replacing IRNSS-1E. NVS-02 uses a combination of indigenous and procured atomic clocks for precise time estimation.