Published 06:21 IST, January 29th 2025

ISRO's Historic 100th Mission: Satellite NVS-02 Launched from Sriharikota Boosting India's Navigation System

ISRO has launched it's historic 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota with the GSLV-F15 mission.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its historic 100th mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched its historic 100th mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre | Image: Republic

Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) launched its historic 100th mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota with the GSLV-F15 mission at 6:23 AM on Wednesday. 

The 27-hour countdown began on Tuesday at the spaceport’s second launch pad.

According to ISRO, the satellite’s key applications include terrestrial, aerial, and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, fleet management, location-based services for mobile devices, orbit determination for satellites, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, emergency services, and timing services.
 

About the GSLV-F15

GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th flight featuring the indigenous cryogenic stage. It is also the 8th operational flight of the GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic stage and marks the 100th launch from India’s spaceport.

The rocket was once referred to as the “naughty boy” of ISRO due to its earlier challenges. Of the 16 previous launches, 6 had failed.

This mission will update the satellite constellation of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), which consists of a total of 7 satellites. With this 100th launch, India now has 5 of the 7 satellites in orbit.
 

Additionally, this launch marks the first for ISRO's Chairman, V. Narayanan, who recently assumed office. It is also the agency’s maiden mission of the year.

The 50.9-meter-tall rocket, emitting thick fumes from its tail, lifted off majestically from the second launch pad at precisely 6:23 AM on Wednesday.

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F15) follows the GSLV-F12 mission, which successfully carried the NVS-01 navigation satellite, the first of the second-generation satellites, on May 29, 2023.

'Mission Successful'

ISRO confirmed that the navigation satellite onboard GSLV-F15 was successfully placed into orbit.

Earlier on Tuesday, Nilesh Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC)/ISRO, mentioned that the launch would help update India’s Regional Navigation Satellite System, increasing the number of satellites from 4 to 5. Desai stated, “We are launching the GSLV-F15 mission at 6:23 AM, which will carry the NVS-02 satellite into orbit. It will be placed in geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometers, bringing the total number of satellites in our navigation constellation from 4 to 5. This will enhance the overall accuracy of the positioning services provided by our navigation satellites.”

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) will consist of 7 satellites in space. With this 100th launch, India now has 5 of the 7 satellites in orbit. “This is the 5th in the series of operational NavIC satellites,” Desai added. NavIC, formerly known as IRNSS, is India’s regional navigation satellite system, designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services to users in India and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders. NavIC will offer two types of services: Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). SPS provides position accuracy better than 20 meters and timing accuracy better than 40 nanoseconds over the service area.
 

 

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Updated 08:38 IST, January 29th 2025