The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the NVS-03 navigation satellite at 11.51 pm on October 30, chairman V. Narayanan said, according to Hindustan Times. He spoke during a visit to the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirumala.
The satellite will fly on the GSLV-F18 rocket from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The rocket will place it in a geosynchronous transfer orbit. It will be the 20th flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
"This is the fifth mission we have accomplished this year, including a private launch," Mr. Narayanan said.
What NVS-03 does
NVS-03 is the third satellite in ISRO's next-generation navigation system, built to keep the services of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) running and to expand them. It carries an indigenous atomic clock alongside imported ones, and adds the L1 signal to the existing L5 and S signals.
The system covers India and an area extending 1,500 km beyond its borders.
Why it matters
"With this launch, we will have four operational navigation satellites in orbit, including one equipped with an indigenous atomic clock," Mr. Narayanan said. He said the services are used for strategic purposes, by the Airports Authority of India, and for real-time train tracking, vehicle monitoring and navigation for boats and ships.
Atomic clocks are the heart of a navigation satellite: the accuracy of a position fix depends on precise timing. Having one built in India reduces reliance on imported clocks for the system.