Countdown progressing for ISRO’s crucial GSLV-F18 launch carrying navigation satellite NVS-03

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Updated - October 30, 2026 09:18 am IST - Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh)

A view of the GSLV-F18, India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle mission, will carry the NVS-03 navigation satellite on October 30, 2026. Photo: X/@isro

The 24-hour countdown for the launch of India's next-generation navigation satellite, NVS-03, has commenced and is progressing, ISRO said on Friday (October 30, 2026).

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle carrying on board the GSLV-F18 rocket is scheduled to lift off at 11.51 p.m. on Friday (October 30, 2026) from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR).

The countdown officially commenced at 11.51 p.m. on Thursday (October 29, 2026).

GSLV-F18, India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle mission, will carry the NVS-03 navigation satellite. Launch: 30th October 2026, 23:51 hours IST Watch live: 30th October 2026, 23:20 hours IST onwards https://t.co/Mbllc4lcM2 Mission details: https://t.co/6YvrbYjFJI #GSLVF18 #NVS03 #ISRO #NavIC

The 50-metre-tall, three-stage rocket with a lift-off mass of 420 tonne aims to deploy the 2,232 kg NVS-03 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

According to the mission brochure released by ISRO, the targeted orbit has a planned perigee (closest point to Earth) of 170 km and an apogee (farthest point) of 37,023 km, at an inclination of 20.75 degrees.

In an unprecedented engineering configuration cleared during the Mission Readiness Review (MRR), ISRO will fly the NVS-03 satellite with its pyrotechnic (pyro) valves already open. This major departure from standard safety protocols — which usually isolate spacecraft propellant during the intense vibrations of liftoff — is specifically designed to bypass the connector failure that stranded the previous NVS-02 mission in January 2025.

Meet NVS-03 - the third satellite of the second-generation NVS series, intended to augment the NavIC constellation and support continuity of navigation services. Launch: 30th October 2026, 23:51 hours IST Watch live: 30th October 2026, 23:20 hours IST onwards https://t.co/Mbllc4lcM2 Mission details: https://t.co/6YvrbYjFJI #GSLVF18 #NVS03 #ISRO #NavIC

To further ensure mission success, corrective measures recommended by a high-level committee to enhance redundancy and improve pyro system operations have been fully integrated into this flight, sources said.

NVS-03 is a crucial addition to the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system. The satellite carries an indigenous Rubidium atomic clock developed by the Space Applications Centre and will transmit signals in the L1, L5, and S bands. The inclusion of the L1 band ensures compatibility with modern civilian smartphone chipsets and wearable devices.

Following the injection into GTO, the satellite will perform orbit-raising manoeuvres to reach its final Geosynchronous slot at 32.5 degrees East.

Launch Day! The GSLV-F18/NVS-03 Mission is scheduled for launch today, 30 October 2026, at 23:51 hrs IST from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. Watch live: 30th October 2026, 23:20 hours IST onwards https://t.co/Mbllc4lcM2 Mission details: https://t.co/6YvrbYjFJI #GSLVF18 #NVS03 #ISRO #NavIC

While Friday's (October 30, 2026) launch is a critical step in restoring and strengthening the country's regional positioning services, experts point out that the broader NavIC constellation still has a significant distance to cover before realising its full operational potential and continuous reliability across the grid.

The space agency will be closely monitoring the performance of the GSLV Mk II, looking to execute a flawless flight and shake off the launch vehicle's historical "naughty boy" moniker stemming from the complexities of its cryogenic third stage.

Published - October 30, 2026 09:15 am IST

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