New Delhi, Aug 5 (PTI) Navigation satellite NVS-03 is ready for lift-off, and will be followed by the launch of NVS-04 and NVS-05, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the minister also said that one more satellite is planned after the above-mentioned satellites’ launch to complete the seven-satellite NavIC base layer constellation.
Singh, however, did not mention the timeline of these launches. In March this year, the last atomic clock on board the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System-1F (IRNSS-1F) stopped functioning, paralysing India’s navigation satellite system — Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).
Currently, only IRNSS 1-B, IRNSS 1-L, and NVS-01 are capable of providing navigation services. At least four satellites with operational atomic clocks are required for NavIC to function properly.
The first-generation satellites for NavIC, known as the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) series, were launched between 2013 and 2018.
However, the constellation of satellites soon began to face issues, with the atomic clocks aboard several IRNSS series satellites repeatedly facing malfunctions.
The NVS series is the second generation of satellites for NavIC. While ISRO successfully placed NVS-01 in the desired orbit in 2023, the 2025 launch of NVS-02 failed. This has delayed the launch of NVS-03, NVS-04, and NVS-05.
Noting the failure of NVS-02, Singh said in his reply, “NVS-03 is ready for launch after incorporation of all corrective measures arising from the NVS-02 anomaly.” PTI ALC ALC MNK MNK
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