GSLV-F18 set to launch on Friday night 11.51 for give rebirth to the indigenous navigation system NavIC

CHENNAI: The GSLV-F18 vehicle will place the NVS-03 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Launch is planned from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR on Friday night 11.51. This mission success is expected to give birth to the nation's own navigation system NavIC after some previous struggles.  

NVS-03 is the Third Satellite in Next generation navigation satellite system envisaged for providing continuity of navigation services for IRNSS series. The satellite carries Indigenous Atomic clocks, along with the procured Atomic clocks. It also includes L1 signal in addition to existing L5/S signals with Coverage over India land mass and a region extending 1500 km around the Indian geopolitical boundary.

NavIC, earlier known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), was developed to provide India with an indigenous positioning, navigation and timing service. Unlike the US Global Positioning System (GPS), Europe's Galileo and Russia's GLONASS, NavIC was primarily designed to meet India's navigation requirements, providing coverage across the country and up to 1,500 km beyond its boundaries.

Originally planned as a seven satellite constellation supported by ground stations, NavIC provides two services: the Standard Positioning Service for civilian users and the Restricted Service for authorised strategic users, including defence applications.

The system supports a range of applications, including maritime navigation, disaster management, transportation and other critical infrastructure. Efforts are also underway to expand its use in real time train tracking, fishing vessel communication, vehicle tracking and the dissemination of Indian Standard Time.

However, maintaining the constellation has proved challenging. The NVS-02 satellite, launched on January 29, 2025, could not reach its intended orbit following a technical problem, complicating efforts to strengthen the second generation constellation.

Another setback came with IRNSS-1F, launched in March 2016, whose final onboard rubidium atomic clock reportedly failed after the satellite completed its 10 year design life.

 NVS-03 is expected to play an important role in the indigenous navigation system and improving service continuity. Its successful deployment would be a significant boost to India's efforts to reduce dependence on foreign navigation systems for critical applications.