Sriharikota, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India now has four navigation satellites in orbit following the successful deployment of NVS-03 by the GSLV-F18 mission, with ISRO planning at least five more launches before the end of the current financial year, including the first uncrewed mission under the Gaganyaan programme.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the latest launch has enabled India to meet the minimum satellite requirement for providing enhanced Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services. However, a constellation of seven satellites is needed to ensure uninterrupted services and highly accurate positioning.
“Two more satellites are in the final stages of preparation, while approval for another satellite is in process,” Narayanan said, adding that India would then join a select group of countries with their own navigation satellite constellation.
Outlining the launch schedule, he said ISRO was targeting five more missions during the financial year. These include the uncrewed Gaganyaan G mission, at least two Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) missions and two Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) missions. The agency is also planning a private-sector launch, taking the overall planned number to six, although completing at least five remains the primary target.
On Gaganyaan, Narayanan said the programme aims to send Indian astronauts, or Gaganyatris, into space using an indigenous launch vehicle. More than 8,000 tests have been completed so far. Before carrying astronauts, ISRO must successfully conduct three uncrewed missions.
He stressed that crew safety remains the programme’s foremost priority, with teams working on critical systems, simulations, launch vehicle preparation and software development for the service and crew modules.
Narayanan said the programme was progressing well and expressed confidence that India would achieve the human spaceflight milestone in the near future.
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