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On October 30, 2026 at 11:51 PM IST, ISRO's GSLV-F18 rocket lifted off from Sriharikota carrying NVS-03, a new satellite for NavIC, India's own navigation system. Minutes later, GSLV-F18 placed NVS-03 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, The Times of India reported, and The Hindu quoted ISRO saying the mission was successfully completed and NVS-03 reached its intended orbit. The satellite now has to raise its own orbit with its onboard thrusters.
GSLV-F18 is the 20th flight of ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle: about 50 m tall and about 420 tonnes at lift-off, with a solid core plus four liquid strap-ons, a liquid second stage and the Indian-built CUS15 cryogenic upper stage (ISRO mission brochure). NVS-03 weighs about 2,250 kg (The Hindu), carries an Indian-made atomic clock alongside procured clocks, and adds the civilian L1 signal to NavIC's L5 and S-band signals.
Why it matters: according to The Hindu, citing government information, only 3 of NavIC's 11 satellites (IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and NVS-01) can currently do their main job, while at least 4 are needed for core services. NVS-02 (January 2025) could not raise its orbit because its engines failed to fire. The Hindu says NVS-01, NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05 together would restore the minimum, and 6 to 7 NVS satellites would make NavIC reliable. The Times of India notes that L1 is the signal most consumer devices and smartphones use for GPS.
Chapters:
0:00 The launch
0:30 The rocket: GSLV-F18
1:27 The satellite: NVS-03 and its atomic clocks
2:12 Why NavIC needs it
3:26 GPS and BeiDou vs NavIC
3:47 What it means for your phone
Should India keep investing in its own GPS? Tell us in the comments 👇
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