The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the NVS-03 navigation satellite aboard the GSLV-F18 rocket on October 30 at 11.51 pm from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

NVS-03 is the third of five second-generation satellites (NVS-01 to NVS-05) planned to sustain and strengthen NavIC, India's regional navigation system. ISRO said the satellite "carries an indigenous atomic clock, along with the procured atomic clocks".

Why L1 matters

Besides NavIC's existing L5 and S-band signals, the NVS satellites add signals in the L1 band, the frequency most widely used by smartphones and consumer GPS chips. That is expected to make it easier for everyday devices to use NavIC.

NavIC covers India and a region extending about 1,500 km beyond its borders, and provides a standard positioning service for civilian users and a restricted service for authorised users. The first satellite in the series, NVS-01, was launched on GSLV-F12 on May 29, 2023.