ISRO to launch 100th satellite from Sriharikota on Jan 29

The agency is gearing up to launch the GSLV-F15 NVS-02 mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre

Bengaluru: ISRO will launch its 100th satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on January 29, the space agency said on Friday. The agency is gearing up to launch the GSLV-F15 NVS-02 mission.

GSLV-F15 with Indigenous Cryogenic stage will place the NVS-02 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and the launch will take place from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, said ISRO, in a statement.

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Incidentally, NVS-01, the first of the second-generation satellites, was launched on board GSLV-F12 on May 29, 2023. “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 a power handling capability of -3 kW. It will be placed at 111.75°E, replacing IRNSS-1E,” it said.

According to ISRO, Navigation with Indian Constellation (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.

NVS-01/02/03/04/05 are envisaged to augment the NavIC base layer constellation with enhanced features for ensuring continuity of services, added the statement. The space agency said 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, it added.

GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and the 11th flight with the Indigenous Cryo stage, said ISRO. It is also the 8th operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage, it added.