India's NavIC navigation system has slipped below the minimum satellite strength needed for standalone positioning services, prompting the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) to speed up efforts to rebuild the constellation. The immediate task is to get NVS-03, the third satellite in NavIC’s second-generation series, into orbit. Preparations are under way at Sriharikota and other ISRO centres. Senior officials indicate that the launch could take place in the second half of October or around November. NVS-03 is expected to ride on the GSLV Mark-II, rather than the PSLV. The PSLV has been kept on hold after two consecutive mission failures and is awaiting corrective measures recommended by a failure analysis committee. The satellite shortfall has made restoring NavIC an urgent task. Four operational satellites are needed for basic positioning services, while seven are required for the constellation to operate at full strength. NavIC has been hit by a series of satellite and atomic-clock failures over the years. The recent completion of IRNSS-1F’s service life has further reduced the constellation, taking it below the threshold required for standalone positioning. For ISRO, NVS-03 is the next step in rebuilding the system. The broader objective is to restore NavIC’s ability to provide reliable navigation, positioning and timing services across India and up to 1,500 km beyond the country’s borders.
