Wed Jan 29 22:22:35 UTC 2025: ## India Launches Navigation Satellite, Bolsters Independent Space Positioning System

**SRIHARIKOTA, INDIA** – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched a new navigation satellite, NVS-02, aboard the GSLV-F15 rocket early Wednesday morning. This marks the 100th launch for ISRO and a significant step in expanding India’s indigenous navigation system, NavIC.

The launch, which took place at 6:23 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, strengthens India’s independent satellite positioning capabilities, rivaling systems like the US GPS, China’s BeiDou, Europe’s Galileo, and Russia’s GLONASS. NavIC is designed to provide positioning services over India and the surrounding region.

India’s Minister of Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, hailed the launch as a “historic moment” and a “record feat.” The launch comes amidst growing global competition in the space sector, with nations vying to expand their satellite networks for applications ranging from defense to consumer technologies.

While the US led in space launches in 2024 with 145, and China with 68, India is significantly increasing its launch cadence, aiming for 30 missions by March 2025. This latest successful launch firmly positions India as a growing force in the global space race.

Read More