Sriharikota: India’s space agency ISRO achieved another milestone with the successful launch of its 100th mission. The GSLV-F15 rocket carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite was launched at 6:23 AM from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. This marks a significant achievement, underscoring India’s growing capabilities in space research and exploration.
ISRO’s Announcement
ISRO shared the success of the launch via X (formerly Twitter), stating, “GSLV-F15 has successfully lifted off and placed the NVS-02 satellite in its designated orbit. Mission accomplished! India has reached new heights in space navigation.”
Chairman’s Remarks
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan hailed the achievement as historic, adding, “This is ISRO’s 100th successful mission, a result of teamwork and relentless efforts. Earlier this month, on the 16th, we achieved a breakthrough with our docking system. This year, multiple projects have been approved, including Chandrayaan-3 and Chandrayaan-4. Our focus is on accelerating these newly approved projects and addressing any delays in ongoing missions.”
About GSLV-F15 and NVS-02
The GSLV-F15 mission was the 17th flight of the GSLV rocket and the 11th to use an indigenously developed cryogenic upper stage. The NVS-02 satellite is a second-generation navigation satellite, designed to provide precise positioning, velocity, and timing services up to 1,500 kilometers beyond Indian territory. It supports the L1 frequency band, enhancing service reliability and accuracy.
Weighing 2,250 kilograms and powered by approximately 3 kilowatts, the NVS-02 satellite will deliver two types of services: Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). The SPS offers positional accuracy of better than 20 meters and timing accuracy of better than 40 nanoseconds.
This successful launch reaffirms ISRO’s position as a leading player in space technology and navigation systems, setting the stage for further advancements in India’s space program.
