📰 News ⏱ 2 min

How Is India Sending a New Navigation Satellite Into Space? 🚀

The Indian Space Research Organisation started a 24‑hour countdown for the launch of the NVS‑03 navigation satellite.

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Key Points

4 points

Launch time: 11:51 pm on Friday.

Orbit target: a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, then higher to a final slot.

Satellite carries a rubidium atomic clock for precise timing.

Mission aims to strengthen India’s NavIC navigation system.

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The rocket, called GSLV‑F18, is 50 metres tall and will lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Engineers opened the satellite’s pyrotechnic valves early to avoid the connector problem that stopped the last mission.

Once in space, the satellite will use its atomic clock to give accurate location signals to smartphones and wearables.

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5 words

Indian Space Research Organisation

India’s agency that plans and runs space missions.

navigation satellite

A space machine that helps phones and other devices know where they are.

Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit

A temporary path that lets a satellite move higher to a steady orbit over the same spot on Earth.

pyrotechnic valves

Small devices that open with a tiny controlled explosion to let fuel flow.

rubidium atomic clock

A super‑accurate clock made with the element rubidium.

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