ISRO to launch NVS-03 navigation satellite on GSLV on October 30

ISRO is preparing to launch its GSLV-F18 rocket carrying NVS-03, the third satellite in the second-generation Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) series, from Sriharikota on October 30, India Today reports. The mission matters because NavIC is short of operational satellites: the government told Parliament in July that only three satellites were providing positioning, navigation and timing services, while a receiver needs signals from at least four to compute a position independently. NavIC's timing service remains functional, and phones can still fall back on GPS and other systems. Once NVS-03 reaches its intended orbit and becomes operational, it is expected to help restore NavIC's independent positioning capability across India and about 1,500 km beyond its borders. The government has said NVS-04 and NVS-05 are in advanced stages of development.

DTT summary based on India Today's report. The full article is on the publisher's site.