NVS-03

In 2026 NavIC, India's regional satellite navigation system, had only three satellites broadcasting full navigation signals, too few for standalone positioning. NVS-03, the third of its second-generation satellites, is built to help close that gap; its predecessor NVS-02 never reached its working orbit after a propulsion failure following launch in January 2025.

NVS-03 carries a rubidium atomic clock built by ISRO's Space Applications Centre, after imported clocks failed on several earlier NavIC satellites. The satellite also adds an L1 signal meant to make NavIC usable by smartphones.