ISRO's GSLV-F18 has put the NVS-03 satellite into its intended orbit, adding a second-generation node to India's indigenous NavIC navigation constellation.

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• ISRO launched GSLV-F18 carrying the NVS-03 satellite at 11.51 pm on 30 October 2026 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said the satellite was placed in its correct elliptical orbit shortly after liftoff.
• NVS-03 is the third satellite of India's second-generation navigation series and the twelfth in the Regional Navigation Satellite System.
• NavIC is India's own alternative to global systems such as the US GPS and provides positioning services across India and up to 1,500 km beyond.
• NavIC offers two services, the Standard Positioning Service for general users and a Restricted Service for authorised users.
• The new-generation satellite carries an additional L1 navigation signal, which improves compatibility with consumer devices.
• NVS-03 carries an indigenous atomic clock alongside imported clocks, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for precise timing.
• Atomic clock failures on several earlier IRNSS satellites had weakened the constellation, making the in-house clock technology significant.
• India's push for its own navigation system traces back to the 1999 Kargil conflict, when access to foreign GPS data was limited.
• GSLV Mk II is a three-stage vehicle of about 50 metres with a cryogenic upper stage for geosynchronous transfer orbits.
• NVS-04 and NVS-05 are lined up next, with the long-term aim of seven operational satellites in the constellation.
• Narayanan linked the launch to the "One Nation, One Time" vision of precise, self-reliant timing services.