GSLV-F15 lifts off with NVS-02 satellite in Isro’s 100th launch from Sriharikota

0 46

46 years after it conducted the first experimental launch of Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3)

That unfortunately crashed into the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) created history on Wednesday by successfully completing its 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The GSLV-F15 lifted off in a picture-perfect launch from the second launch pad of India’s spaceport to begin its journey with the second satellite part of India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system.

The historic 100th launch comes on the back of several big-ticket missions that involved highly successful missions like the Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, Aditya L-1, the maiden Gaganyaan developmental flights and several developmental launches of PSLV, GSLV, and SSLV.

GSLV-F15 ROARS INTO SPACE

The mighty GSLV roared into the morning sky with the 2,250-kilogram satellite to begin its journey into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) above Earth. The satellite was injected into the GTO 19 minutes after launch from Sriharikota.

The GTO allows satellites to be positioned into geostationary orbits, where they can maintain a fixed position relative to the Earth’s surface. This is crucial for communication and weather satellites that need to monitor specific areas continuously.

The NavIC system, India’s homegrown GPS, aims to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services across India and up to 1,500 kilometres beyond its borders.

NavIC offers two types of services: Standard Positioning Service (SPS), which provides location accuracy better than 20 meters and timing accuracy better than 40 nanoseconds across the core service area, and Restricted Service (RS), which is a more secure service for authorised users.

To ensure continuous service and improved features, five second-generation NavIC satellites — NVS-01 to NVS-05 — are planned to enhance the existing constellation. These satellites incorporate L1 band communication, which broadens NavIC’s compatibility and usability for diverse applications. India launched NVS-01 satellite on May 29, 2023.

NVS-02 will help improve NavIC’s services, which are used for navigation, precision agriculture, emergency services, fleet management, and even mobile device location services. It carries an advanced navigation payload operating in three frequency bands (L1, L5, and S) to ensure high accuracy.

It also has a precise atomic clock called the Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (RAFS) for accurate timekeeping.

Newly appointed Isro chief V Narayanan thanked the former leadership of Isro for helping reach this milestone. Isro had invited former chairmen of the Indian space agency into the Mission Control to be part of the historic moment.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.