ISRO Prepares To Launch NVS-02 Satellite In January 2025: ISRO Chief

ISRO's PSLV-C60 launch marked its 99th mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, with upcoming NVS-02, Chandrayaan-4 docking, and the 100th launch in 2025.

After the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C60 carrying the SpaDeX spacecraft on Monday, marking its final mission of 2024, the organization is now preparing for the launch of the NVS-02 satellite in January 2025. This satellite will be launched aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

On Monday, after the successful launch of PSLV-C60, ISRO chief Somanath announced that this mission is just one of many planned for the upcoming year.

Speaking about the upcoming mission, Somanath said, "In 2025 we have many missions, to start with, we have the mission of GSLV launching the NVS-02 in the month of January..."

On May 29, 2023, the GSLV-F12 rocket successfully launched the 2,232 kg NVS-01 satellite into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). According to an ISRO statement, the NVS-01 satellite was equipped with an indigenous atomic clock and aimed to enhance the capabilities of the NavIC system, including the addition of L1 band signals for broader coverage. The upcoming NVS-02 mission is expected to build on this progress, further strengthening the NavIC system with advanced features.

Somanath emphasised the significance of docking for the Chandrayaan-4 mission, confirming that the final docking is anticipated to take place around January 7 of the upcoming year.

He said, "Chandrayaan-4 has multiple modules, five in total, which will be launched at different times and integrated into two separate modules.

He further added, "This is one of the proving grounds for Chandrayaan-4. Docking will begin tomorrow, and many processes will take place, but the final docking will likely happen by January 7."

Somanath also celebrated ISRO's 99th launch and said, "For us, this is the 99th launch of any launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. It's a very significant milestone. We're preparing for the 100th launch at the start of next year. In this 99th launch, PSLV-C60 successfully placed two SpaDeX satellites weighing 220 kilograms into a circular orbit of 475 kilometres."

(With ANI inputs)