India's indigenous satellite navigation system NavIC is currently unable to provide standalone positioning services, the central government told the Parliament on Wednesday. This is because the number of operational navigation satellites has now fallen below the minimum required.In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Space Dr Jitendra Singh said only three satellites in the NavIC constellation are presently capable of providing Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services.The operational satellites are IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and NVS-01, following the completion of the 10-year mission life of IRNSS-1F.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/assam-flood-toll-reaches-78-after-fresh-deaths-in-sivasagar-golaghat-over-3-lakh-people-affected-across-seven-districts-1785374750099">Assam flood toll reaches 78 after fresh deaths in Sivasagar, Golaghat; over 3 lakh people affected across seven districts</a><h2>Why isn't NAVIC working for standalone navigation now?</h2>Standalone positioning allows a navigation system to determine a user's location using only its own satellites, without relying on other global satellite navigation systems such as GPS.However, NavIC currently lacks the minimum number of satellites required to provide that service."To provide basic positioning service, a minimum of four operational satellites are required in orbit. Hence, the NavIC constellation cannot provide standalone positioning service; however, timing service is functional," Singh said.While location services have been affected, NavIC's timing service continues to operate normally, according to the government.<h2>No operational risk, says Centre</h2>Despite the reduced constellation, the government said users are not facing operational vulnerabilities because NavIC is now used alongside other global satellite navigation systems in a multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) environment.This allows receivers to combine signals from GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and NavIC for navigation.The government also said the Armed Forces use multi-constellation GNSS, including NavIC, to meet operational requirements.<h2>So, is NAVIC useless now?</h2>No, to restore the constellation, ISRO has lined up a series of replacement satellites. The minister revealed that NVS-03 is ready for launch, while NVS-04 and NVS-05 are in advanced stages of development.The upcoming missions are expected to restore NavIC's standalone navigation capability and strengthen India's second-generation regional navigation network.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/anthropic-reveals-india-is-claude-ai-s-no-2-market-but-what-are-indians-actually-using-the-ai-for-wion-decodes-1785394109668">Anthropic reveals India is Claude AI's No. 2 market. But what are Indians actually using the AI for? | WION Decodes</a><h2>ISRO's recent setbacks</h2>The latest update comes as ISRO works to expand and modernise NavIC after facing setbacks in recent years. The space agency successfully launched NVS-01 in 2023 as part of the second-generation NavIC constellation.However, the subsequent NVS-02 mission encountered propulsion-related issues that prevented the satellite from reaching its intended operational orbit.Once the planned satellites are launched and commissioned, ISRO expects to rebuild the constellation and improve the reliability of NavIC, which provides positioning, navigation and precise timing services across India and regions extending roughly 1,500 kilometres beyond its borders.

The Indian government has informed Parliament that the country's indigenous navigation system, NavIC, can no longer provide standalone positioning services. Here's all you need to know.

India's indigenous satellite navigation system NavIC is currently unable to provide standalone positioning services, the central government told the Parliament on Wednesday. This is because the number of operational navigation satellites has now fallen below the minimum required. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Space Dr Jitendra Singh said only three satellites in the NavIC constellation are presently capable of providing Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services. The operational satellites are IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and NVS-01, following the completion of the 10-year mission life of IRNSS-1F. Also read | Assam flood toll reaches 78 after fresh deaths in Sivasagar, Golaghat; over 3 lakh people affected across seven districts Why isn't NAVIC working for standalone navigation now? Standalone positioning allows a navigation system to determine a user's location using only its own satellites, without relying on other global satellite navigation systems such as GPS. However, NavIC currently lacks the minimum number of satellites required to provide that service. "To provide basic positioning service, a minimum of four operational satellites are required in orbit. Hence, the NavIC constellation cannot provide standalone positioning service; however, timing service is functional," Singh said. While location services have been affected, NavIC's timing service continues to operate normally, according to the government. No operational risk, says Centre Despite the reduced constellation, the government said users are not facing operational vulnerabilities because NavIC is now used alongside other global satellite navigation systems in a multi-constellation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) environment. This allows receivers to combine signals from GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and NavIC for navigation. The government also said the Armed Forces use multi-constellation GNSS, including NavIC, to meet operational requirements. So, is NAVIC useless now? No, to restore the constellation, ISRO has lined up a series of replacement satellites. The minister revealed that NVS-03 is ready for launch, while NVS-04 and NVS-05 are in advanced stages of development. The upcoming missions are expected to restore NavIC's standalone navigation capability and strengthen India's second-generation regional navigation network. Also read | Anthropic reveals India is Claude AI's No. 2 market. But what are Indians actually using the AI for? | WION Decodes ISRO's recent setbacks The latest update comes as ISRO works to expand and modernise NavIC after facing setbacks in recent years. The space agency successfully launched NVS-01 in 2023 as part of the second-generation NavIC constellation. However, the subsequent NVS-02 mission encountered propulsion-related issues that prevented the satellite from reaching its intended operational orbit. Once the planned satellites are launched and commissioned, ISRO expects to rebuild the constellation and improve the reliability of NavIC, which provides positioning, navigation and precise timing services across India and regions extending roughly 1,500 kilometres beyond its borders.

The Indian government has informed Parliament that the country's indigenous navigation system, NavIC, can no longer provide standalone positioning services. Here's all you need to know.

India's GPS has a satellite problem: Government says NavIC no longer working. All you need to know

The Indian Government's Department of Space(DoS) is "actively working for operationalisation of NAVIC and associated satellite systems for providing secure navigation service," the country's Space Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said in Parliament on Wednesday (25th March). His comments come at a time when the NAVIC satellite fleet, India's own system to provide Position, Navigation &amp; Timing services, has gone defunct. Executed by the Space agency ISRO(which operates under the Department of Space), NAVIC is a strategic Indian Government project meant to serve civilian and defence applications within India and 1,500 km beyond Indian borders. Confirming what has already been known about NAVIC, Minister Singh stated in Parliament that only eight of the eleven NAVIC satellites are functional. Of these eight, only three satellites are broadcasting navigation signals, while five satellites are capable of broadcasting signals for one-way messaging, it was added. Back in July 2025, this author had reported that NAVIC faced the risk of going defunct, as multiple failure-hit satellites were not being replaced in a timely manner. On 13th March 2026, space agency ISRO officially revealed that another NAVIC satellite had stopped functioning, which left only three NAVIC satellites operational for providing Position, Navigation &amp; Timing services. NAVIC requires a bare minimum of four satellites for providing Position, Navigation &amp; Timing.<h3>Why NAVIC failed and what remains now...</h3>According to data shared by ISRO, six NAVIC satellites suffered failure in all three on-board atomic clocks. Atomic clocks are highly precise and sophisticated timekeeping instruments, which are fundamental to the operation of Navigation satellites. When all atomic clocks in a satellite fail, it implies a total loss of that satellite's capability to offer Position, Navigation &amp; Timing. According to the Indian Government, these imported atomic clocks were made by the Swiss firm SpectraTime. SpectraTime's atomic clocks that were used in Europe's Galileo satellite fleet had also suffered failures, it was added. &nbsp;Even among the three satellites that are presently functional, two satellites are at the end of life: IRNSS-1B has exceeded its expected life of 10 years, while IRNSS-1I has about two years of life remaining and faces the risk of premature failure. Considering long-term utility, only the NVS-01 is truly functional. Launched in May 2023, NVS-01 has at least ten years of life ahead of it, provided it functions glitch-free. Therefore, NAVIC is effectively reduced to one satellite, NVS-01, when it needs at least four. "The roadmap for further strengthening satellite navigation architecture includes completion of the NAVIC base layer constellation and suitable enhancement in services to meet the user requirements, and induction of indigenous technologies, including a space-grade atomic clock for technological self-reliance," Minister Singh said in Parliament. However, the Minister did not specify by when this would be accomplished.<h3>How many satellites are needed to revive NAVIC?</h3>If the Indian Government wishes to revive and sustain NAVIC in its basic form, it must have a total of four satellites. For this, the country's Space agency ISRO must urgently launch three satellites: NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05, which can work together with the existing NVS-01. Launched in the year 2025, the NVS-02 satellite has been stuck in its initial orbit and is unable to fulfil its core purpose. Having a fleet of four operational satellites (NVS-01, 03, 04, 05) is just the basic requirement. For higher reliability and coverage, India would have to rapidly build and launch backup satellites in the NVS-series. Eventually, a fleet of six or seven NVS-series satellites would have to be maintained to reliably operate a regional Navigation system such as NAVIC.<h3>About American and Chinese Navigation systems</h3>For context, the American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point in time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches. To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou's global network requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit. Likewise, India too must have a proportional number of satellites.<h3>Sluggish launch pace threatens NAVIC's revival</h3>In July 2025, the Indian Government had said in Parliament that the remaining NVS-series satellites would be launched by the end of 2026. However, this seems like an unrealistic timeline, given ISRO's pace so far. ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which shows a gap of 19 months between the two launches. It has been more than a year since the NVS-02 failure, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched. ISRO has also faced three failures in six missions executed between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/60x-further-5x-faster-china-just-shook-starlink-with-a-tiny-laser-that-shattered-speed-records-1774274595342">China just shook Starlink with a 5 times faster laser from a distance of 36,000km</a>

Executed by the Space agency ISRO(which operates under the Department of Space), NAVIC is a strategic Indian Government project meant to serve civilian and defence applications within India and 1,500 km beyond Indian borders.

The Indian Government's Department of Space(DoS) is "actively working for operationalisation of NAVIC and associated satellite systems for providing secure navigation service," the country's Space Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said in Parliament on Wednesday (25th March). His comments come at a time when the NAVIC satellite fleet, India's own system to provide Position, Navigation & Timing services, has gone defunct. Executed by the Space agency ISRO(which operates under the Department of Space), NAVIC is a strategic Indian Government project meant to serve civilian and defence applications within India and 1,500 km beyond Indian borders. Confirming what has already been known about NAVIC, Minister Singh stated in Parliament that only eight of the eleven NAVIC satellites are functional. Of these eight, only three satellites are broadcasting navigation signals, while five satellites are capable of broadcasting signals for one-way messaging, it was added. Back in July 2025, this author had reported that NAVIC faced the risk of going defunct, as multiple failure-hit satellites were not being replaced in a timely manner. On 13th March 2026, space agency ISRO officially revealed that another NAVIC satellite had stopped functioning, which left only three NAVIC satellites operational for providing Position, Navigation & Timing services. NAVIC requires a bare minimum of four satellites for providing Position, Navigation & Timing. Why NAVIC failed and what remains now... According to data shared by ISRO, six NAVIC satellites suffered failure in all three on-board atomic clocks. Atomic clocks are highly precise and sophisticated timekeeping instruments, which are fundamental to the operation of Navigation satellites. When all atomic clocks in a satellite fail, it implies a total loss of that satellite's capability to offer Position, Navigation & Timing. According to the Indian Government, these imported atomic clocks were made by the Swiss firm SpectraTime. SpectraTime's atomic clocks that were used in Europe's Galileo satellite fleet had also suffered failures, it was added. Even among the three satellites that are presently functional, two satellites are at the end of life: IRNSS-1B has exceeded its expected life of 10 years, while IRNSS-1I has about two years of life remaining and faces the risk of premature failure. Considering long-term utility, only the NVS-01 is truly functional. Launched in May 2023, NVS-01 has at least ten years of life ahead of it, provided it functions glitch-free. Therefore, NAVIC is effectively reduced to one satellite, NVS-01, when it needs at least four. "The roadmap for further strengthening satellite navigation architecture includes completion of the NAVIC base layer constellation and suitable enhancement in services to meet the user requirements, and induction of indigenous technologies, including a space-grade atomic clock for technological self-reliance," Minister Singh said in Parliament. However, the Minister did not specify by when this would be accomplished. How many satellites are needed to revive NAVIC? If the Indian Government wishes to revive and sustain NAVIC in its basic form, it must have a total of four satellites. For this, the country's Space agency ISRO must urgently launch three satellites: NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05, which can work together with the existing NVS-01. Launched in the year 2025, the NVS-02 satellite has been stuck in its initial orbit and is unable to fulfil its core purpose. Having a fleet of four operational satellites (NVS-01, 03, 04, 05) is just the basic requirement. For higher reliability and coverage, India would have to rapidly build and launch backup satellites in the NVS-series. Eventually, a fleet of six or seven NVS-series satellites would have to be maintained to reliably operate a regional Navigation system such as NAVIC. About American and Chinese Navigation systems For context, the American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point in time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches. To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou's global network requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit. Likewise, India too must have a proportional number of satellites. Sluggish launch pace threatens NAVIC's revival In July 2025, the Indian Government had said in Parliament that the remaining NVS-series satellites would be launched by the end of 2026. However, this seems like an unrealistic timeline, given ISRO's pace so far. ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which shows a gap of 19 months between the two launches. It has been more than a year since the NVS-02 failure, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched. ISRO has also faced three failures in six missions executed between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity. Also read: China just shook Starlink with a 5 times faster laser from a distance of 36,000km

Executed by the Space agency ISRO(which operates under the Department of Space), NAVIC is a strategic Indian Government project meant to serve civilian and defence applications within India and 1,500 km beyond Indian borders.

'Working for operationalization,' Indian Govt says on defunct NAVIC satellite fleet

India's strategic NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) series of satellites, designed, built and maintained by the national Space agency ISRO, have gone defunct. The NAVIC series of satellites is meant to provide Position, Navigation &amp; Timing services for civilian and military users within India and 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. To resuscitate its regional navigation system and gain sovereign strategic capabilities, India must accelerate the production and launch of its NAVIC satellite fleet. To enable rapid replenishment, India might have to even consider launching pairs of NAVIC satellites using foreign rockets that have heavy-lift capability.<h2>The present condition of NAVIC</h2>Theoretically, a bare minimum of four satellites is required for the functioning of NAVIC. At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, information shared by the Indian Government reveals.There are three NAVIC satellites believed to be capable of providing Positioning, Navigation &amp; Timing services: first-generation satellites IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and second-generation satellite NVS-01. Of these three, IRNSS-1B has lived longer than its expected life of 10 years, and could fail anytime. If all goes well, IRNSS-1I could potentially function till 2028. NVS-01 has at least a decade of life ahead of it, if it functions as designed.Considering long-term functionality, only the NVS-01 satellite can be deemed truly operational.<h2>How many satellites are needed to revive NAVIC?</h2>If the Indian Government wishes to revive and sustain NAVIC in its basic form, it must have a total of four satellites. For this, the Indian Space Agency ISRO must urgently launch three satellites: NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05, which can work together with the existing NVS-01. Launched in the year 2025, the NVS-02 satellite has been stuck in its initial orbit and is unable to fulfil its core purpose.Having a fleet of four operational satellites (NVS-01, 03, 04, 05) is just the basic requirement. For higher reliability and coverage, India would have to build and launch backup satellites in the NVS-series. Eventually, a fleet of six or seven NVS-series satellites would have to be maintained to reliably operate a regional Navigation system such as NAVIC.For context, the American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point of time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches.To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou's global network requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit.Likewise, India too must have a proportional number of satellites.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explained-india-s-desi-gps-navic-is-defunct-strategic-capability-lost-1773468443775">Explained: India's desi-GPS NAVIC is defunct; strategic capability lost</a><h2>Can ISRO execute missions at an unprecedented pace?</h2>If ISRO is truly looking to launch three NAVIC satellites in quick succession, it must build and assemble GSLV (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) rockets accordingly. The 52-meter-tall GSLV rocket is the preferred vehicle for carrying the 2,250kg NVS-series satellites. However, it must be noted that only one satellite can be carried per rocket, due to the rocket's lifting power limitations. Going by the recent record, ISRO has done only one or two GSLV launches in a year. If ISRO were to launch multiple NVS-series missions in quick succession, it would affect the schedules of other launches that are in the pipeline. It must be remembered that ISRO does around five or seven launches from home soil in a year.Alternatively, ISRO could consider launching two NVS-series satellites on a single LVM3 rocket, which is India's most capable launch vehicle. However, due to lifting power limitations while launching to higher orbits, the LVM3 rocket cannot carry two NVS satellites, which weigh a total of 4,500kg. Even if the LVM3 can be optimised to carry two NVS-series satellites to a lower orbit, satellite fuel must be spent to push the satellites to their destination orbit. Spending precious satellite fuel for orbit raising would reduce the planned lifetime of the satellite.ISRO builds and assembles most of its satellites, including the NVS-series, at its own facilities. Therefore, ISRO would have to re-allocate its human resources to work on three NVS-series satellites, while prioritising various missions that are in different stages of implementation. ISRO must also carry out parallel design, development, and testing of its ambitious scientific and exploratory satellite-specific missions such as Chandrayaan-4(to bring back samples from the moon) and Chandrayaan-5(also called LUPEX, which is being developed with Japan's JAXA).<h2>NVS-series and the pace of launches so far</h2>ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which is after a gap of 19 months. It has been more than a year since the NVS-02 failure in February 2025, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched.In mid-2025, the Indian Government had revealed in Parliament that an NVS-series satellite was planned to be launched by end of the year. Subsequently, with a gap of six months, NVS-04 &amp; NVS-05 are planned to be launched, it was announced. However, none of these satellites has been launched so far. This amply indicates the wide gulf between the announcement and implementation.ISRO also faced three failures in six missions executed from home soil between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity and affecting morale.<h2>Could ISRO consider launching on a foreign rocket?</h2>On many instances, ISRO has paid foreign rocket operators such as Europe's Ariane group and Elon Musk's SpaceX to carry its heavy satellites(weighing above 4 tons) to space. To speed up the process of replacing the defunct NAVIC satellites, ISRO could consider this option yet again. Rockets such as Europe's Ariane 6 and America's Falcon 9 can ferry at least two NVS satellites to space in a single launch.Launching on such foreign rockets could potentially reduce the burden on India's launch schedule from home soil, and ensure that the NAVIC fleet is replenished faster. Given that India needs to launch multiple NVS-series satellites urgently, it remains to be seen if the Government-run space agency might opt for the foreign route.&nbsp;

India’s NAVIC faces a crisis with only a few operational satellites. ISRO may need rapid launches or foreign rockets to restore capability.

India's strategic NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) series of satellites, designed, built and maintained by the national Space agency ISRO, have gone defunct. The NAVIC series of satellites is meant to provide Position, Navigation & Timing services for civilian and military users within India and 1,500 km beyond the country's borders. To resuscitate its regional navigation system and gain sovereign strategic capabilities, India must accelerate the production and launch of its NAVIC satellite fleet. To enable rapid replenishment, India might have to even consider launching pairs of NAVIC satellites using foreign rockets that have heavy-lift capability. The present condition of NAVIC Theoretically, a bare minimum of four satellites is required for the functioning of NAVIC. At present, barely 3 of 11 NAVIC satellites are fulfilling their core purpose, information shared by the Indian Government reveals. There are three NAVIC satellites believed to be capable of providing Positioning, Navigation & Timing services: first-generation satellites IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and second-generation satellite NVS-01. Of these three, IRNSS-1B has lived longer than its expected life of 10 years, and could fail anytime. If all goes well, IRNSS-1I could potentially function till 2028. NVS-01 has at least a decade of life ahead of it, if it functions as designed. Considering long-term functionality, only the NVS-01 satellite can be deemed truly operational. How many satellites are needed to revive NAVIC? If the Indian Government wishes to revive and sustain NAVIC in its basic form, it must have a total of four satellites. For this, the Indian Space Agency ISRO must urgently launch three satellites: NVS-03, NVS-04 and NVS-05, which can work together with the existing NVS-01. Launched in the year 2025, the NVS-02 satellite has been stuck in its initial orbit and is unable to fulfil its core purpose. Having a fleet of four operational satellites (NVS-01, 03, 04, 05) is just the basic requirement. For higher reliability and coverage, India would have to build and launch backup satellites in the NVS-series. Eventually, a fleet of six or seven NVS-series satellites would have to be maintained to reliably operate a regional Navigation system such as NAVIC. For context, the American Global Positioning System(GPS), which supports trillion-dollar civilian and military applications worldwide, requires a fleet of 24 satellites in orbit for optimum performance and round-the-clock global coverage. Considering how crucial GPS is to the global economy, the US Government maintains at least 30 GPS satellites in orbit at any given point of time. The six additional satellites are meant to ensure that the service remains reliable and robust, even when a few satellites fail or encounter unexpected glitches. To meet its own national requirements, China operates a fleet of Beidou satellites, which serve as an alternative to America's GPS. While Beidou's global network requires a fleet of 30 satellites in orbit, around 35 satellites are believed to be in orbit. Likewise, India too must have a proportional number of satellites. Also Read: Explained: India's desi-GPS NAVIC is defunct; strategic capability lost Can ISRO execute missions at an unprecedented pace? If ISRO is truly looking to launch three NAVIC satellites in quick succession, it must build and assemble GSLV (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) rockets accordingly. The 52-meter-tall GSLV rocket is the preferred vehicle for carrying the 2,250kg NVS-series satellites. However, it must be noted that only one satellite can be carried per rocket, due to the rocket's lifting power limitations. Going by the recent record, ISRO has done only one or two GSLV launches in a year. If ISRO were to launch multiple NVS-series missions in quick succession, it would affect the schedules of other launches that are in the pipeline. It must be remembered that ISRO does around five or seven launches from home soil in a year. Alternatively, ISRO could consider launching two NVS-series satellites on a single LVM3 rocket, which is India's most capable launch vehicle. However, due to lifting power limitations while launching to higher orbits, the LVM3 rocket cannot carry two NVS satellites, which weigh a total of 4,500kg. Even if the LVM3 can be optimised to carry two NVS-series satellites to a lower orbit, satellite fuel must be spent to push the satellites to their destination orbit. Spending precious satellite fuel for orbit raising would reduce the planned lifetime of the satellite. ISRO builds and assembles most of its satellites, including the NVS-series, at its own facilities. Therefore, ISRO would have to re-allocate its human resources to work on three NVS-series satellites, while prioritising various missions that are in different stages of implementation. ISRO must also carry out parallel design, development, and testing of its ambitious scientific and exploratory satellite-specific missions such as Chandrayaan-4(to bring back samples from the moon) and Chandrayaan-5(also called LUPEX, which is being developed with Japan's JAXA). NVS-series and the pace of launches so far ISRO launched NVS-01 in May 2023; NVS-02 was launched in January 2025, which is after a gap of 19 months. It has been more than a year since the NVS-02 failure in February 2025, and its successor, NVS-03, has not been launched. In mid-2025, the Indian Government had revealed in Parliament that an NVS-series satellite was planned to be launched by end of the year. Subsequently, with a gap of six months, NVS-04 & NVS-05 are planned to be launched, it was announced. However, none of these satellites has been launched so far. This amply indicates the wide gulf between the announcement and implementation. ISRO also faced three failures in six missions executed from home soil between January 2025 and January 2026, further slowing down the overall pace of activity and affecting morale. Could ISRO consider launching on a foreign rocket? On many instances, ISRO has paid foreign rocket operators such as Europe's Ariane group and Elon Musk's SpaceX to carry its heavy satellites(weighing above 4 tons) to space. To speed up the process of replacing the defunct NAVIC satellites, ISRO could consider this option yet again. Rockets such as Europe's Ariane 6 and America's Falcon 9 can ferry at least two NVS satellites to space in a single launch. Launching on such foreign rockets could potentially reduce the burden on India's launch schedule from home soil, and ensure that the NAVIC fleet is replenished faster. Given that India needs to launch multiple NVS-series satellites urgently, it remains to be seen if the Government-run space agency might opt for the foreign route.

India’s NAVIC faces a crisis with only a few operational satellites. ISRO may need rapid launches or foreign rockets to restore capability.

What are India's options to revive desi-GPS NAVIC?

India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Wednesday (Jan 29) achieved the historic milestone of 100 launches from its Sriharikota spaceport after successfully firing the GSLV-F15 rocket carrying the NVS-02 satellite.
The launch happened at 6:23 am (12:53 am GMT) from Sriharikota in the Southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-technology/isrp-rocket-launch-countdown-underway-satish-dhawan-space-centre-in-sriharikota-gslv-8660599">Countdown underway for ISRO's 100th rocket launch</a>
<h2>ISRO celebrates lift-off</h2>
Taking to social media platform X, ISRO lauded the "mission success" and announced that the "GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission has been successfully accomplished."
"India reaches new heights in space navigation!" noted the space agency.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
✅ Mission Success! The GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission has been successfully accomplished. India reaches new heights in space navigation! 🌟 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GSLV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GSLV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NAVIC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NAVIC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISRO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISRO</a>
&mdash; ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1884410373631271020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h2>A series of achievements</h2>
With this launch, the GSLV-F15, India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, completed its 17th flight. This also marks the 11th mission which used India's Indigenous Cryo stage. Additionally, this flight marked the 8th operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-captures-before-and-after-satellite-images-of-maha-kumbh-mela-2025-site-8644606">ISRO captures before-and-after satellite images of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 site</a>
The GSLV-F15 payload fairing is a metallic version with a 3.4-metre diameter, reports ANI. &nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
📸 Relive the moment! Here are stunning visuals from the GSLV-F15/NVS-02 launch. A proud milestone for India&rsquo;s space journey! 🌌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GSLV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GSLV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NAVIC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NAVIC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISRO?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISRO</a> <a href="https://t.co/RK4hXuBZNN">pic.twitter.com/RK4hXuBZNN</a>
&mdash; ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1884415110900588667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>

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<h2>Enhancing India's navigation capabilities</h2>
The GSLV-F15 will place the NVS-02 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, said ISRO. NVS-02 is part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), which aims to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services across India and areas extending up to 1,500 km beyond its landmass.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/crew-module-dispatched-for-isros-first-uncrewed-mission-of-gaganyaan-8645407">Crew module dispatched for ISRO&rsquo;s first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan</a>
"It (NVS-02) will be put in the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres and it will increase the number of satellites of our navigation constellation from 4 to 5 and that will improve the overall accuracy of the positioning which we get from this navigation satellite," Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC)/ISRO Nilesh Desai said before the launch.
With this launch, India now has five out of the seven satellites planned for the NavIC constellation in orbit.&nbsp;
Watch | ISRO accomplishes milestone 100th rocket launch
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"This is the 5th in the series of operational NavIC satellites. NavIC satellite is our earlier named IRNSS satellite configuration which is called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, it is a part of this satellite constellation where we will put seven satellites. Older satellites are getting replaced with a new series of satellites," added Desai.
The updated system, designed to offer Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS), boasts a position accuracy of better than 20 metres and a timing accuracy of better than 40 nanoseconds.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

India News | This launch adds to India's NavIC constellation, increasing operational satellites to 5 out of 7 planned, enhancing regional navigation and positioning accuracy.

India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Wednesday (Jan 29) achieved the historic milestone of 100 launches from its Sriharikota spaceport after successfully firing the GSLV-F15 rocket carrying the NVS-02 satellite. The launch happened at 6:23 am (12:53 am GMT) from Sriharikota in the Southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh. Also read | Countdown underway for ISRO's 100th rocket launch ISRO celebrates lift-off Taking to social media platform X, ISRO lauded the "mission success" and announced that the "GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission has been successfully accomplished." "India reaches new heights in space navigation!" noted the space agency. ✅ Mission Success! The GSLV-F15/NVS-02 mission has been successfully accomplished. India reaches new heights in space navigation! 🌟 #GSLV #NAVIC #ISRO — ISRO (@isro) January 29, 2025 A series of achievements With this launch, the GSLV-F15, India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, completed its 17th flight. This also marks the 11th mission which used India's Indigenous Cryo stage. Additionally, this flight marked the 8th operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous Cryogenic stage. Also read | ISRO captures before-and-after satellite images of Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 site The GSLV-F15 payload fairing is a metallic version with a 3.4-metre diameter, reports ANI. 📸 Relive the moment! Here are stunning visuals from the GSLV-F15/NVS-02 launch. A proud milestone for India’s space journey! 🌌 #GSLV #NAVIC #ISRO pic.twitter.com/RK4hXuBZNN — ISRO (@isro) January 29, 2025 Enhancing India's navigation capabilities The GSLV-F15 will place the NVS-02 satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, said ISRO. NVS-02 is part of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also called NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), which aims to provide accurate Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) services across India and areas extending up to 1,500 km beyond its landmass. Also read | Crew module dispatched for ISRO’s first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan "It (NVS-02) will be put in the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres and it will increase the number of satellites of our navigation constellation from 4 to 5 and that will improve the overall accuracy of the positioning which we get from this navigation satellite," Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC)/ISRO Nilesh Desai said before the launch. With this launch, India now has five out of the seven satellites planned for the NavIC constellation in orbit. Watch | ISRO accomplishes milestone 100th rocket launch "This is the 5th in the series of operational NavIC satellites. NavIC satellite is our earlier named IRNSS satellite configuration which is called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, it is a part of this satellite constellation where we will put seven satellites. Older satellites are getting replaced with a new series of satellites," added Desai. The updated system, designed to offer Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS), boasts a position accuracy of better than 20 metres and a timing accuracy of better than 40 nanoseconds. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO marks 'mission success' with historic 100th rocket launch from Sriharikota

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) also known as NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is a group of 7 satellites that provides Global positioning system (GPS) service in India. ISRO Chief Dr. Somanath explains role of India's NavIC Satellites. Watch in.

India mulls expansion of Navic satellite range

American technological giant Apple's recently launched iPhones- iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max support Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), which is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

American technological giant Apple's recently launched iPhones- iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max support Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), which is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). According to a report by Tech Crunch on Wednesday (September 13), this is the first time that Apple has added support for NavIC to any of its iPhone models. The report said that Apple has not yet specified which features will be included in the deployment. It added that this navigation technology is not there on the standard iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus variants. What is NavIC? According to ISRO's website, NavIC is designed with a constellation of 7 satellites and a network of ground stations operating 24 x 7. The technology was established to meet India's positioning, navigation and timing requirements. "Three satellites of the constellation are placed in geostationary orbit, at 32.5°E, 83°E and 129.5°E respectively, and four satellites are placed in inclined geosynchronous orbit with equatorial crossing of 55°E and 111.75°E respectively, with inclination of 29° (two satellites in each plane)," the website says. "The ground network consists of control centre, precise timing facility, range and integrity monitoring stations, two-way ranging stations, etc," it adds. NavIC offers two services: Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users. The navigation technology's coverage area includes India and a region up to 1,500 kilometres beyond the Indian boundary. A few applications of the technology are transportation, location-based services, personal mobility, and scientific research. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max support ISRO's navigation tech

India's NavIC (Navigation for Indian Constellation) series of satellites offer a positioning accuracy of three&nbsp;metres, ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath told WION.&nbsp;

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He added that the position accuracy would vary if the signals are weaker and not all satellites are available. However, he said that the navigation, positioning and timing services offered by Indian satellites are superior, considering the architecture being used.&nbsp;

He further told&nbsp;WION that ISRO has the means to make the service global, as and when required.

ISRO recently launched the NVS-01 satellite, a next-generation satellite meant to meet India's requirements of navigation, positioning, and timing.&nbsp;

Launched on Monday, NVS-01 is the first in the series of five satellites that India's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru is designing and building. The NVS series will augment India's existing fleet of NavIC satellites.&nbsp;

At present, India uses its Navigation with Indian Constellation(NavIC) series of satellites for civilian and defence navigation, positioning, and timing services within India and even 1500 kilometres beyond its borders.&nbsp;

<h2>ISRO Chief speaks to WION</h2>

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"NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01," ISRO had said.&nbsp;

Highlighting the need for the indigenous navigation system, Somanath pointed out India's vast landmass, large population, booming digital services and business opportunities, and stated that it is important to have independent systems for navigation, positioning and timing.&nbsp;

Further, he touched upon the strategic perspective and said that India's armed forces are protecting the nation's borders and they require&nbsp;their own secured services for positioning, navigation and timing, thus giving them strategic autonomy.

ISRO's current series of NavIC satellites were placed in orbit in a phased manner between the years 2013 and 2018 using PSLV rockets. All satellites in the first-generation NavIC series weighed 1,425 kg and carried foreign-origin atomic clocks.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/exclusive-your-mobile-could-soon-use-indias-navic-satellite-signals-for-navigation-599018">Your mobile could soon use India's NavIC satellite signals for navigation</a>

All IRNSS/NavIC series satellites carried two types of payloads – navigation payload and ranging payload. The navigation payload transmits signals for the determination of position, velocity and time. Rubidium atomic clocks are part of the navigation payload of the satellite. The ranging payload of these satellites consists of a C-band transponder which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite.

Speaking to reporters after the successful GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission, Somanath said that only four of the existing fleet of seven NavIC satellites were operational now.&nbsp;

Instead of replacing the three defunct satellites of the old generation, ISRO is launching a fleet of five next-gen NavIC satellites, of which NVS-01 would be the first, he added.&nbsp;

The rationale behind launching a new fleet of five satellites is due to the fact that the existing constellation would be defunct in a few years (owing to the completion of mission life). Hence, it would not be prudent to replace the old fleet. It is expected that two next-gen NavIC satellites will be launched every year.&nbsp;

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India's NavIC (Navigation for Indian Constellation) series of satellites offer a positioning accuracy of three metres, ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath told WION. He added that the position accuracy would vary if the signals are weaker and not all satellites are available.

India's NavIC (Navigation for Indian Constellation) series of satellites offer a positioning accuracy of three metres, ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath told WION. He added that the position accuracy would vary if the signals are weaker and not all satellites are available. However, he said that the navigation, positioning and timing services offered by Indian satellites are superior, considering the architecture being used. He further told WION that ISRO has the means to make the service global, as and when required. ISRO recently launched the NVS-01 satellite, a next-generation satellite meant to meet India's requirements of navigation, positioning, and timing. Launched on Monday, NVS-01 is the first in the series of five satellites that India's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru is designing and building. The NVS series will augment India's existing fleet of NavIC satellites. At present, India uses its Navigation with Indian Constellation(NavIC) series of satellites for civilian and defence navigation, positioning, and timing services within India and even 1500 kilometres beyond its borders. ISRO Chief speaks to WION "NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01," ISRO had said. Highlighting the need for the indigenous navigation system, Somanath pointed out India's vast landmass, large population, booming digital services and business opportunities, and stated that it is important to have independent systems for navigation, positioning and timing. Further, he touched upon the strategic perspective and said that India's armed forces are protecting the nation's borders and they require their own secured services for positioning, navigation and timing, thus giving them strategic autonomy. ISRO's current series of NavIC satellites were placed in orbit in a phased manner between the years 2013 and 2018 using PSLV rockets. All satellites in the first-generation NavIC series weighed 1,425 kg and carried foreign-origin atomic clocks. Also read | Your mobile could soon use India's NavIC satellite signals for navigation All IRNSS/NavIC series satellites carried two types of payloads – navigation payload and ranging payload. The navigation payload transmits signals for the determination of position, velocity and time. Rubidium atomic clocks are part of the navigation payload of the satellite. The ranging payload of these satellites consists of a C-band transponder which facilitates accurate determination of the range of the satellite. Speaking to reporters after the successful GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission, Somanath said that only four of the existing fleet of seven NavIC satellites were operational now. Instead of replacing the three defunct satellites of the old generation, ISRO is launching a fleet of five next-gen NavIC satellites, of which NVS-01 would be the first, he added. The rationale behind launching a new fleet of five satellites is due to the fact that the existing constellation would be defunct in a few years (owing to the completion of mission life). Hence, it would not be prudent to replace the old fleet. It is expected that two next-gen NavIC satellites will be launched every year. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Exclusive: India's NavIC satellites offer 3-metre positioning accuracy, ISRO chairman tells WION 

In India, while using a navigation/maps application on your mobile device, your gadget is using signals from the Amercian Global Positioning system (constellation of satellites) or perhaps the equivalent Russian Glonass system. For several years, India's scaled-down version of GPS, known as NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) has been operational. However, the civilian services offered by NavIC are not compatible with most mobile phones (which form a large segment of users). In less than two years, this is set to change and your gadgets will be able to provide more accurate positioning and navigation, thanks to a new fleet of Indian satellites.&nbsp;

NVS-01, the first among the new series of five satellites was launched by the Indian Space Agency, earlier this week. Every six months from now, a new satellite will be added, until the fleet of five is completed. At present, India uses its Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) series of satellites for civilian and defence navigation, positioning, and timing services in the Indian mainland and even 1500 km beyond India's borders. “NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services,” ISRO had said.

ISRO chairman Dr S. Somanath explained to WION that the original series of NavIC satellites had a shortcoming — they operated only in the L5-band and S-band frequencies. This was because India hadn't received the International Telecommunication Union authorisation for using the L1 and L2 frequency bands, which are widely used worldwide for navigation services. It was after the European constellation Galileo was granted permission to use the L1 band, that India also requested for the same and obtained it.&nbsp;

"Now that L1 band is available on the NVS-01 satellite(and will be available on subsequent NVS satellites), it is an interoperable frequency and can be used across all chipsets(of mobile devices), provided they use our signal architecture,"&nbsp;Dr Somanath told WION.&nbsp;

Earlier, the Indian government and ISRO had been making efforts to make chipmakers and phone manufacturers adopt the L5 and S bands frequencies(which the original NavIC series used). However, this was met with various roadblocks as L5 and S were not civilian-use frequencies. Therefore, phone makers had to put in additional chipsets and hardware to make their devices NavIC-compatible, thus making their devices costlier. A mix of such technological and cost reasons meant that phone makers did not widely adopt NavIC and millions of Indian smartphone users couldn't benefit from it.

"Henceforth, with NavIC being operational on the L1 frequency band and when all other satellites in the NVS fleet are service-ready, naturally all our mobile phones can be made compatible with NavIC. This is possible without any additional investment and extra hardware from the manufacturer's end," Dr. Somanath concluded. 
&nbsp; 
"For NavIC to work on our devices, phone manufacturers will have to roll out some software updates alone. Hereafter, no hardware-based changes or new chips will be required, as all mobile chipsets are compatible with the L1 band that the NVS series of satellites will be using," Nilesh M. Desai, Director of ISRO's Space Applications Centre told WION. Based in Ahmedabad, ISRO's SAC is responsible for designing and developing space-borne instruments for ISRO missions and the development and operationalisation of applications of space technology for societal benefits.

At present, NavIC services are being used in L5 and S-band frequencies for select civilian purposes. This is being done using custom-made devices in certain phones, and fixed receivers. Such receivers are used for train tracking, transportation fleet monitoring, fishing boat monitoring, geofencing etc.&nbsp;

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

In India, while using a navigation/maps application on your mobile device, your gadget is using signals from the Amercian Global Positioning system (constellation of satellites) or perhaps the equivalent Russian Glonass system.

In India, while using a navigation/maps application on your mobile device, your gadget is using signals from the Amercian Global Positioning system (constellation of satellites) or perhaps the equivalent Russian Glonass system. For several years, India's scaled-down version of GPS, known as NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) has been operational. However, the civilian services offered by NavIC are not compatible with most mobile phones (which form a large segment of users). In less than two years, this is set to change and your gadgets will be able to provide more accurate positioning and navigation, thanks to a new fleet of Indian satellites. NVS-01, the first among the new series of five satellites was launched by the Indian Space Agency, earlier this week. Every six months from now, a new satellite will be added, until the fleet of five is completed. At present, India uses its Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) series of satellites for civilian and defence navigation, positioning, and timing services in the Indian mainland and even 1500 km beyond India's borders. “NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services,” ISRO had said. ISRO chairman Dr S. Somanath explained to WION that the original series of NavIC satellites had a shortcoming — they operated only in the L5-band and S-band frequencies. This was because India hadn't received the International Telecommunication Union authorisation for using the L1 and L2 frequency bands, which are widely used worldwide for navigation services. It was after the European constellation Galileo was granted permission to use the L1 band, that India also requested for the same and obtained it. "Now that L1 band is available on the NVS-01 satellite(and will be available on subsequent NVS satellites), it is an interoperable frequency and can be used across all chipsets(of mobile devices), provided they use our signal architecture," Dr Somanath told WION. Earlier, the Indian government and ISRO had been making efforts to make chipmakers and phone manufacturers adopt the L5 and S bands frequencies(which the original NavIC series used). However, this was met with various roadblocks as L5 and S were not civilian-use frequencies. Therefore, phone makers had to put in additional chipsets and hardware to make their devices NavIC-compatible, thus making their devices costlier. A mix of such technological and cost reasons meant that phone makers did not widely adopt NavIC and millions of Indian smartphone users couldn't benefit from it. "Henceforth, with NavIC being operational on the L1 frequency band and when all other satellites in the NVS fleet are service-ready, naturally all our mobile phones can be made compatible with NavIC. This is possible without any additional investment and extra hardware from the manufacturer's end," Dr. Somanath concluded. "For NavIC to work on our devices, phone manufacturers will have to roll out some software updates alone. Hereafter, no hardware-based changes or new chips will be required, as all mobile chipsets are compatible with the L1 band that the NVS series of satellites will be using," Nilesh M. Desai, Director of ISRO's Space Applications Centre told WION. Based in Ahmedabad, ISRO's SAC is responsible for designing and developing space-borne instruments for ISRO missions and the development and operationalisation of applications of space technology for societal benefits. At present, NavIC services are being used in L5 and S-band frequencies for select civilian purposes. This is being done using custom-made devices in certain phones, and fixed receivers. Such receivers are used for train tracking, transportation fleet monitoring, fishing boat monitoring, geofencing etc. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Exclusive: Your mobile could soon use India's NavIC satellite signals for navigation

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