PM Modi Congratulates ISRO on Successful GSLV-F18 NVS-03 Launch Strengthening NavIC Navigation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the scientists and engineers of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the successful launch of the GSLV-F18 rocket carrying the next-generation navigation satellite NVS-03. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the mission would strengthen NavIC, India’s indigenous satellite navigation system, and advance the country’s efforts towards self-reliance in critical technologies. He said the satellite’s enhanced capabilities would improve navigation services for the benefit of people, and praised the dedication and ingenuity of India’s space scientists. ISRO launched the 2250-kg NVS-03 satellite aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota late on Friday night. The rocket lifted off at 11:51 pm on 30 October, and within about 18 to 19 minutes it placed the satellite precisely into its intended geosynchronous transfer orbit. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan congratulated every member of the ISRO team along with industry partners and academic institutions for the accomplishment, and said the vehicle had injected the satellite into its intended elliptical orbit. NVS-03 is the third satellite in ISRO’s next-generation navigation satellite series and the twelfth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, known as IRNSS. It is designed to ensure continuity and to enhance the capabilities of NavIC, which provides accurate positioning, navigation and timing services across India and in a region extending about 1500 kilometres beyond the country’s borders. The satellite carries India’s third indigenously developed atomic clock in orbit, and its successful placement has restored the NavIC constellation to its minimum operational configuration of four satellites. The mission also set a record for speed. It was the twentieth flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, and it was completed with a turnaround of just 56 days after the previous GSLV mission. The satellite has a mission life of 12 years. For India, the success matters beyond a single launch: a strong, independent navigation system supports everyday services such as vehicle and train tracking, shipping and disaster management, while reducing dependence on foreign systems. The Prime Minister said the dedication and ingenuity of the country’s space scientists continued to make the nation proud.