ISRO set to launch GSLV-F18 carrying navigation satellite NVS-03 | LIVE

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the GSLV-F18 rocket on 2026, carrying the 2,250-kg navigation satellite NVS-03. This mission is vital to India's efforts to rejuvenate its aging NavIC satellite constellation. NavIC, or Navigation with Indian Constellation, aims to provide independent navigation services across India and its surrounding region, serving as India's indigenous alternative to GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou.

The GSLV-F18 rocket is expected to deposit NVS-03 into an initial Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) around 18 minutes and 40 seconds following liftoff from Sriharikota's Second Launch Pad. NVS-03, equipped with an indigenous atomic clock and other procured atomic clocks, will enhance India's navigation services with the L1 signal, complementing the existing L5 and S-band signals.

To restore NavIC to its minimum operational capacity, ISRO needs to launch at least two more NVS-series satellites, NVS-04 and NVS-05, alongside the existing NVS-01 and incoming NVS-03. However, to ensure long-term stability, a constellation of six to seven NVS-series satellites would be necessary. Currently, only three of the 11 satellites in the NavIC constellation can perform their primary functions, with only NVS-01 providing reliable service in the long run.