ISRO plans NavIC revival with NVS-03 launch in October

CHENNAI: India's indigenous satellite navigation system NavIC is set for another push towards full operationalisation, with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reportedly planning to launch the NVS-03 navigation satellite in October.

The proposed launch comes after a series of setbacks involving earlier satellites and is expected to strengthen the constellation that is crucial for India's civilian, maritime and strategic navigation requirements.

The Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), earlier known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), was developed by ISRO to provide India with an independent satellite-based positioning, navigation and timing system.

Unlike systems such as the US Global Positioning System (GPS), Europe's Galileo and Russia's GLONASS, NavIC was conceived primarily to meet India's own navigation requirements.

The system is designed to provide coverage over India and a region extending up to 1,500 km beyond the country's boundaries.

NavIC was originally planned as a seven-satellite constellation supported by a network of ground stations. The system provides two services -- Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users like Indian Defence.

Its applications range from civilian navigation and maritime operations to disaster management, transport and other critical infrastructure.

The Department of Space has also been working towards expanding NavIC's use in areas such as real-time train tracking, fishing vessel communication, location systems for public and commercial vehicles and dissemination of Indian Standard Time.

However, the indigenous navigation system has faced a number of challenges in maintaining the required satellite constellation.

According to information provided by the Union government in Parliament, 11 NavIC satellites have been launched so far, of which eight are functional.

Three satellites are capable of broadcasting navigation signals, while five are capable of providing one-way messaging services.

One of the major setbacks came with the NVS-02 mission. The satellite was launched on January 29, 2025, but failed to reach its intended orbit following a problem that affected the mission.

The setback complicated efforts to strengthen the second-generation NavIC constellation.

Another concern emerged with the IRNSS-1F satellite, which was launched in March 2016. After completing its 10-year design life, the satellite's final onboard rubidium atomic clock also failed.

Against this backdrop, the reported NVS-03 launch assumes significance. The new satellite is expected to contribute to strengthening the NavIC constellation and increase the availability of navigation services.

Experts have also highlighted the strategic importance of maintaining an independent navigation capability.

Satellite navigation has become an important component of modern defence systems, including precision-guided applications, communication, surveillance and logistics.

Dependence on foreign navigation systems can create strategic vulnerabilities if access to those services is restricted or disrupted during a crisis.

An operational indigenous system would provide India with an additional layer of independent navigation capability for strategic requirements.

Dr S Pandian, aerospace scientist and former Director of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, told DT Next that NavIC was designed to provide coverage over India and an area extending up to 1,500 km around the Indian subcontinent.

He also noted that the NavIC system is designed to work with the constellation of seven navigation satellites, but it would work with a minimum of 4 satellites to pinpoint a precise three-dimensional position. Now we have three satellites, and NVS-03 will do the fourth satellite work so after NVS-03 comes to service we can activate the NavIC system.

"NavIC is more accurate than the GPS, " he said.

Pandian said NavIC could provide positioning accuracy of around five metres, while GPS provides accuracy of around 20 metres under typical conditions.

Once NavIC becomes fully operational, the system would be useful for India's defence requirements as well as maritime and land-based navigation applications, he said.

He further said the system is currently being developed primarily to serve India and the surrounding region, but its coverage could potentially be expanded in the future.

"Now we are planning to build this NavIC system mainly for India. In the future, this system can be expanded to the world like GPS and other navigation systems," Pandian said.

The significance of NavIC extends beyond defence. The system has potential applications in sectors where reliable positioning and timing are essential.

The government has already identified railways, fishing, transport, disaster management and aviation-related applications as areas where NavIC could play a larger role.

For ISRO, the immediate challenge is to restore and strengthen the NavIC constellation while ensuring that future satellites have reliable indigenous systems and longer operational lifetimes.