ISRO successfully placed its advanced navigational satellite NVS-01 in orbit using a GSLV-F12 rocket today. The rocket was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10:42 a.m. The GSLV is said to be the heaviest launch vehicle rocket of ISRO. This the first time in five years that ISRO has launched a navigational satellite into orbit.
This satellite is part of a constellation of satellites designed to enhance navigation and monitoring. The NVS-01 is intended to improve navigational services and integrate new features into the system.
The 51.7-metre-tall Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) carried the NVS-01, which weighs 2,232 kg. The NavIC satellites are designed to provide user position accuracy of better than 20 metres and timing accuracy of better than 50 nanoseconds. The network includes India as well as regions up to 1500 km beyond the Indian border. The satellite is equipped with a Rubidium atomic clock developed indigenously by India.
The NavIC satellites are utilised in terrestrial, aerial, maritime transportation, location-based services, personal mobility, resource monitoring, surveying and geodesy, scientific research, time distribution and synchronisation, and the broadcast of safety-of-life alerts.
The mission was declared a success and ISRO chairman S Somanath said that, “Congratulations on the excellent GSLVF12 mission outcome. The satellite has been placed in a precise orbit. This mission is after the debacle of the GSLV F10 mission where we had an issue with the cryogenic state. I am happy that the updates and changes we have made to make the stage more reliable have been a success.”
