ISRO Chief Says India Now Has Four Navigation Satellites
India has taken a significant step in its satellite navigation ambitions after the GSLV-F18 rocket placed the NVS-03 satellite in its planned orbit. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the mission was executed with precision and that the country would soon have four navigation satellites in orbit.
According to Narayanan, four satellites form the minimum requirement for improved positioning, navigation and timing services. However, sustaining uninterrupted service and maintaining high accuracy will require a full constellation of seven satellites. Two of the remaining satellites are in the final phase of development, while approval for a third is in progress. Once complete, the system will place India among the small group of countries with a navigation satellite constellation of their own.
The ISRO chief also provided an overview of the agency's upcoming missions during the current financial year, with Gaganyaan at the centre of its plans. The target is five more launches, including the uncrewed Gaganyaan G mission. ISRO also aims to complete at least two PSLV launches and two SSLV launches, and is planning one private launch. Taken together, six launches are being considered, with at least five committed.
Describing Gaganyaan as a prestigious and technology-driven programme, Narayanan said its objective is to send Indian astronauts into space aboard indigenously built launch vehicles. The agency has already completed more than 8,000 tests. Three uncrewed missions are required before a human crew can be launched.
He said the safety of the future astronauts remains the top priority. Multiple teams are involved in preparing the uncrewed flights, including the LPSC, which has developed several systems, the URSC, which is running simulation tests, and the IPRC and BSSE teams, which have finished the full launch vehicle. Teams are also developing software for the service and crew modules. Narayanan said he was fully confident the mission would be accomplished soon under the Prime Minister's guidance.