Isro prepares for GSLV-F15 mission with NVS-02 satellite launch

Tirupati : The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is set to achieve a major milestone with the launch of the GSLV-F15 mission at 6.23 am on January 29, 2025. This marks the 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) carries the NVS-02 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

The NVS-02 satellite is part of the second-generation Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system. Designed to enhance regional navigation, it offers precise Position, Velocity and Timing (PVT) services across India and beyond, covering up to 1,500 kilometers from the Indian mainland. The satellite will replace the aging IRNSS-1E at 111.75°E longitude, ensuring greater reliability and expanded capabilities for NavIC, which serves both civilian and strategic users.

This mission represents the 17th flight of the GSLV programme and the 8th operational use of its indigenous cryogenic upper stage. The 50.9-meter, three-stage vehicle has a lift-off mass of 420.7 tonnes and features a metallic payload fairing with a 3.4-metre diameter for optimal accommodation of the NVS-02. Its stages include a solid core booster with liquid strap-ons, a high-thrust liquid stage and a cryogenic stage powered by liquid hydrogen and oxygen.

The launch sequence includes the ignition of the strap-ons and core stage, followed by successive stage separations and fairing deployment. Approximately 1,150 seconds after lift-off, the NVS-02 satellite will separate at an altitude of 322.93 km, achieving a velocity of 9,693.43 m/s.

Weighing 2,250 kg, the NVS-02 satellite is built on ISRO’s I-2K platform and equipped with advanced navigation payloads operating in L1, L5 and S bands. It also carries a C-band ranging payload and a mix of indigenous and procured atomic clocks, including the Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard, to ensure precise timing. Applications of NavIC range from defence and agriculture to fleet management, IoT services and emergency response.

This mission underscores ISRO’s ongoing innovation in space technology, reaffirming India’s growing prominence in the global space community.