This launch is the first mission under the chairmanship of V Narayana and the 100th mission of ISRO. The rocket, which has an indigenous cryogenic stage and after the success of GSLV-F12, launched from the second launch pad on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 6:23 am.
After 46 years of the first experimental launch of the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) which sadly ended in a crash in the Bay of Bengal, ISRO created history on Wednesday, successfully achieving its 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The second satellite of India’s Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, the GSLV-F15, began its mission after a flawless liftoff from the second launch pad of the spaceport. The NavIC system, whose two satellites-NVS-01 and NVS-02-form the basis of the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, intended to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services both inside India and up to 1,500 kilometers outside its boundaries, depends heavily on NVS-02.
NavIC: What Is It?
India’s regional navigation satellite system, Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), primarily serves an area 1,500 km outside India’s borders, and its main aim is to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services for users within the country.
There are two types of services provided by NavIC. The Restricted Service (RS) is intended for authorized usage and has superior access control; the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) provides accuracy within 20 meters for location and time of 40 nanoseconds in the core service area.
Five second-generation NavIC satellites, NVS-01 to NVS-05, are planned to be launched to augment the existing satellite constellation for continuous service and enhanced capability. The L1-band communication capabilities of these new satellites will help to improve the usability and interoperability of NavIC for broader applications.
First Mission under Chairman V Narayanan
This being the first operational launch of 2023, it was also the first mission under the newly appointed chairman of ISRO, V. Narayanan.
With the heavy trail of exhaust appearing from its base, the 50.9-m rocket had a celestial launch at 6:23 a.m. Wednesday, precisely on the dot, after a countdown of 27 hours and 30 minutes.
The launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F15) came after its predecessor GSLV-F12, which successfully put into orbit the navigation satellite NVS-01, the first satellite in the second-generation series, on May 29, 2023.
This mission marked the 17th flight of the GSLV and the 11th with an indigenous cryogenic stage. It was also the 8th operational flight of the GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic stage.
The first of the second-generation navigation satellites, NVS-01 was injected with an indigenous atomic clock on May 29, 2023, whereas NVS-02, like its predecessor, carries the navigation payloads in L1, L5, and S-bands along with a ranging payload in the C-band.