ISRO’s 100th launch from Sriharikota scheduled for January-end

A satellite launch vehicle lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andra Pradesh.
| Photo Credit: File photo

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, which is scheduled to take place at the end of January with the launch of the GSLV-F15 NVS-02 mission.

The GSLV-F15 with indigenous cryogenic stage will place NVS-02 satellite in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The launch is scheduled to take place from the spaceport’s second launch pad.

The NVS-02 is the second satellite in the NVS series, and part of India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).

According to ISRO, NavIC is India’s independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity and Timing (PVT) service to users in India as well as the region extending about 1,500 km beyond the Indian landmass, which is its primary service area.

NavIC provides two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS). NavIC SPS provides a position accuracy of better than 20 metres (2σ) and timing accuracy better than 40 nano seconds (2σ) over the primary service area.

Five second-generation NavIC satellites viz. NVS-01/02/03/04/05 are envisaged to augment NavIC base layer constellation with enhanced features for ensuring continuity of services. The NVS series of satellites incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services.

NVS-01, the first of the second-generation satellites, was launched on board GSLV-F12 on May 29, 2023. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock was flown in NVS-01.

NVS-02, the second satellite in the NVS series, is configured with navigation payload in L1, L5 and S bands in addition to ranging payload in C-band like its predecessor-NVS-01. It is configured on standard I-2K bus platforms with a lift-off mass of 2,250 kg and power handling capability of ~3 kW. It will be placed at 111.75ºE, replacing IRNSS-1E. NVS-02 uses a combination of indigenous and procured atomic clocks for precise time estimation.

NVS-02 satellite was designed, developed and integrated at the U. R. Satellite Centre (URSC) with the support of other satellite-based work centres.