ISRO's launch of the GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission was accomplished on May 29, 2023 at 10:42 hours IST from the second launch pad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota. This Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) mission is designed to deploy the NVS-01 navigation satellite, weighing about 2232 kg, into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Subsequent orbit-raising maneuvers will be used for taking the satellite to the intended orbit.

NVS-01 is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services. NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services.cNavIC provides accurate real-time positioning and timing services over India and a region extending approximately 1500 km around the Indian Mainland. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01.

NVS-01, with a lift-off mass of around 2,232kg, is equipped with navigation payloads operating in the L1, L5, and S bands. ISRO has revealed that the satellite is expected to have a mission life of approximately 12 years. One notable accomplishment of this mission is the inclusion of an indigenous Rubidium atomic clock, developed by the Space Applications Centre based in Ahmedabad. This advanced technology is possessed by only a few countries and adds significant value to the satellite. NavIC, powered by the satellite, finds applications in various sectors including terrestrial, aerial, and maritime navigation, precision agriculture, fleet management, marine fisheries, orbit determination for satellites, geodetic surveying, and location-based services on mobile devices, among others.

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