India’s NavIC satellite system has returned to its minimum operational configuration of four satellites after ISRO successfully launched NVS-03 aboard the GSLV-F18 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, with the mission also introducing changes designed to prevent a repeat of the technical failure that affected its predecessor.
ISRO chairman Dr V. Narayanan said the 2,250-kg navigation satellite was injected into its designated Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with high accuracy. The planned perigee was 170.36 km and the achieved perigee was 170.31 km, while the planned apogee of 37,247 km was reached at 38,080 km. Narayanan described the orbital injection as one of the best performances by a launch vehicle.
The NVS-03 mission followed the failure of NVS-02 to reach its intended operational orbit in January 2025. According to Narayanan, an electrical signal had failed to reach a pyro valve in the oxidiser line of the satellite’s propulsion system. A subsequent investigation identified a possible connector-contact issue in the electrical circuit.
To address the risk, ISRO kept three pyro valves open in NVS-03. The decision followed technical assessments that included vibration and shock tests conducted by a national-level committee headed by former ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar. The changes were intended to prevent the problem encountered during the NVS-02 mission from recurring.
NavIC, or Navigation with Indian Constellation, provides positioning, navigation and timing services across India and an area extending approximately 1,500 km beyond the mainland. The system is already being used to track around 10,400 locomotives and 64,000 fishing vessels in real time. ISRO is targeting coverage for one lakh fishing vessels within the next six months under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana. Around 15 lakh vehicles have also been fitted with NavIC tracking devices.
NVS-03 also carries an L1 civilian navigation signal, alongside the existing L5 and S-band signals. ISRO said the additional signal would widen the scope of NavIC applications. Wider compatibility with civilian mobile phones, however, will depend on strengthening the constellation to its full seven-satellite configuration.
Narayanan said the next-generation navigation satellites NVS-04 and NVS-05 are expected to be launched within approximately 10 months. Their deployment is intended to improve the continuity, accuracy and reliability of India’s navigation services.
The mission was also completed on a shorter schedule. The launch campaign took 47 days, while the GSLV-F18 launch occurred 56 days after the previous GSLV mission. ISRO said the four L40 strap-on boosters were prepared in 37 days, reflecting efforts to increase launch frequency and operational efficiency.
The agency is preparing for five more launches before the end of the current financial year. The planned missions include the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, G1, two PSLV missions, a small satellite mission and a private launch. Senior ISRO officials Thomas Kurian, the GSLV-F18 mission director, and U.P. Rajeev, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, were present at the briefing.
