On January 29, 2025, at 6:23 a.m. IST, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched the NVS-02 navigation satellite aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F15) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This mission marked ISRO’s 100th launch from Sriharikota, underscoring India’s growing capabilities in space technology.
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The NVS-02 satellite, weighing 2,250 kilograms, is the second in the NVS series and is designed to enhance India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system. NavIC is India’s independent regional navigation satellite system, providing accurate positioning services over India and extending up to 1,500 kilometers beyond its borders. This system serves as India’s counterpart to global navigation systems like the U.S. GPS, China’s BeiDou, Europe’s Galileo, and Russia’s GLONASS
Equipped with navigation payloads operating in the L1, L5, and S bands, as well as a ranging payload in the C-band, NVS-02 is based on the I-2K bus platform. It has a power handling capacity of approximately 3 kW and is expected to replace the IRNSS-1E satellite at the 111.75°E longitude.
The successful deployment of NVS-02 not only strengthens the NavIC system but also highlights India’s commitment to advancing its space infrastructure. With plans for 30 additional missions by March 2025, ISRO is poised to further solidify its position in the global space community.
