Space

ISRO’s GSLV‑F18 Success Highlights Slow Progress Amid NavIC Challenges

By The Hindu

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) celebrated the successful launch of the GSLV‑F18 mission and the healthy status of the NVS‑03 satellite, offering a moment of relief after two launch failures involving PSLV rockets in the past 18 months. The GSLV‑F18 launch was only the second successful launch of 2026. If the NVS‑03 satellite is maneuvered into its final orbital slot and commissioned, ISRO will have completed a rescue mission for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) programme, which has been short of at least one functional satellite for the last six months and has been unable to provide standalone positioning services over the Indian subcontinent.

The three second‑generation NVS satellites are notable for carrying at least one indigenously made atomic clock, following recommendations from the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Science and Technology and India’s investments in quantum timekeeping. This contrasts with the imported clocks on the first‑generation IRNSS satellites. The PSC also identified procurement bottlenecks across ISRO programmes, including difficulties in obtaining specialised components and ensuring vendor readiness on the timelines required by NavIC.

In 2025, the ISRO Space Applications Centre issued a request for proposals that specified a lead time of nearly two years between the start of a contract and the first two flight models. The Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme and the programme to modernise the Semiconductor Laboratory could be adjusted to meet these needs. The Electronics Ministry has set aside dedicated funds for developing specialised components and their qualification tests in a five‑to‑seven‑year programme.

The government is expected to allocate around ₹17,000 crore in the 2027‑28 Union Budget for the Department of Space, up from ₹13,705.6 crore in 2026‑27. The increase would focus on manufacturing launch vehicles, replacing satellites, and recruitment. NavIC also requires a dedicated operator so that ISRO can concentrate on its core mandate. India also needs a national space law to address private participation and liability.

With only two successful orbital missions in five‑sixths of a year, the national space programme faces scrutiny as it plans human spaceflight, a space station, and reusable launch vehicle capabilities. Without significant measures, ISRO may continue to move from one mission to the next as its workforce and allocation allow.