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ISRO: NVS-03 satellite was successfully injected into 170.3 km x 38080 km orbit by GSLV Launch vehicle on October 30, 2026 at 23.51 hrs. NVS-03 is the third satellite in next generation navigation satellite system envisaged for providing continuity of navigation services for IRNSS series. The satellite carries indigenous atomic clock along with the procured clocks. It also includes L1 signal in addition to L5 and S band signals with coverage over Indian land mass and a region extending 1500 km around Indian geopolitical boundary. The planned first orbit manoeuvre, with a LAM engine burn duration of 2174.8 seconds, has been successfully completed on October 31, 2026 at 16:48 hrs. The estimated orbit subsequent to manoeuvre is 5477.6 km x 37833.4 km. The satellite health is normal. Further, in the coming days, orbit manoeuvres are planned to eventually place NVS-03 in GSO (111.75o East orbital slot). #NVS03 #ISRO #GSLV #NavIC #OrbitRaising

Mission accomplished! Congratulations to ISRO and everyone behind GSLV-F18 / NVS-03 on successfully placing the satellite into its intended orbit! 🇮🇳 Thank you to everyone who followed the launch with us on our Flight Profile dashboard. Tomorrow, we’ll share the actual trajectory data and compare it with our predictions to see how closely they matched. indianspaceflight.in/flight-… #ISRO #GSLVF18 #NVS03 #NavIC

LIFTOFF! GSLV-F18 rises from Sriharikota carrying NVS-03, on its way to help replenish the baseline NavIC constellation! 🇮🇳 Follow the mission with us: indianspaceflight.in/flight-… #ISRO #GSLVF18 #NVS03 #NavIC

We questioned what was actually aboard EOS-05. Then we took those questions to ISRO through RTI. Our original article flagged that the widely repeated instrument specifications belonged to the lost EOS-03 / GISAT-1. Had the payload changed? We explicitly raised added thermal capability as one possibility. ISRO’s reply now confirms: EOS-05 carries a six-band long-wave infrared imager that EOS-03 did not have with 1,180 m resolution and a 378 km swath. This establishes an important difference between the two spacecraft: EOS-05 has thermal imaging capability that extends observation beyond daylight. It also corrects our earlier article’s statement that EOS-05 had no thermal band. Beyond that confirmation, our RTI obtained detailed payload specifications, swath widths, propellant mass, design life and power figures. Some questions remain unanswered. From the uncertainties we flagged to the answers ISRO provided read our full breakdown and the RTI reply: indianspaceflight.in/latest/… #ISRO #EOS05 #GISAT #GSLVF17 #EOS03

SAC has put out an EOI asking Indian industry to take over full assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of its electro-optical imaging payloads. That's the whole job, from receiving bare mirrors to handing over a calibrated, TVAC-tested camera at URSC. EOI no. SAC/EOI/03/D/2026-27, issued 30 Oct, responses due 30 Nov 2026 by 3 PM IST. It covers 14 payloads across 5 types. SAC doesn't name the missions, but the optics specs give away quite a lot: > Type-2, "Cartographic Imager" (4 units) 1.2 m Korsch telescope, ~16 m focal length, PAN/MX/MWIR/SWIR → Same 1.2 m optics class as Cartosat-3. A 16 m focal length works out neatly for its 0.25 m GSD from 509 km. > Type-3, High Resolution Imager (3 units) Two-mirror Ritchey-Chrétien, 600 mm primary, ~5.8 m focal length, PAN/MX + MWIR, LWIR and night-time light imaging, with an onboard blackbody for calibration → Basically the Cartosat-2 telescope layout (700 mm, 5.6 m). Closest published spec we could find is HRSAT (1 m PAN, 4 m MX, 20 m LWIR). > Type-1, Wide Swath High Resolution Imager (3 units) ~1.13 m mirror but only ~3.5 m focal length, nine butted detectors plus four MWIR chains, ~700 kg optics module (roughly what an entire Cartosat-2 satellite weighed) → Big, fast optics built for swath and signal, not Cartosat-style narrow-strip imaging. We couldn't match it to any announced ISRO mission. > Type-4, "Advanced Resource Monitoring Satellite" (2 units) Two TMA telescopes, fore and aft, ~2 m focal length, fixed pitch bias → The Cartosat-1 stereo layout (two TMAs, 1.945 m, +26/-5 deg), which Resourcesat-3S/3SA carries forward. > Type-5, "Advanced Resource Monitoring Satellite" (2 units) VNIR+SWIR side modules, a central TMA module and three hyperspectral heads → Lines up with Resourcesat-3/3A: ALISS-3 at 20 m on the sides and 10 m in the centre, plus ATCOR. The vendor's scope covers stress-free bonding of mirrors onto CFRP structures, interferometric telescope alignment, detector focusing, integrating the electronics, harness and thermal hardware, TVAC and vibration testing, and full calibration (MTF, SNR/NEDT, band-to-band registration, spectral, radiometric). Then delivery to URSC Bengaluru and support right through in-orbit testing. How it works: > Phase-1: training at SAC + building all the ground support equipment > Phase-2: first unit of each type built at SAC, vendor team under SAC supervision > Phase-3: remaining units at the vendor's own facility → At least ~16 months per payload, contract runs about five years. The entry bar is high: > Own ISRO-approved ISO 8 cleanroom, 30 m x 20 m per payload type, with an ISO 7 optical bay > TVAC chamber with an optical window (shroud -100 to +70 C, 10^-6 torr) > 1.5 m class collimator, reference flat, integrating sphere and blackbody > Prior AIT experience on an EO imager above 200 mm aperture > At least five years as a company, no consortiums > If flight hardware gets damaged during AIT or transport, the vendor pays This comes after SAC's 2025 EOIs for focal plane assemblies and MWIR detector-cooler assemblies. Bit by bit, the EO payload chain is moving to industry, while SAC keeps design authority and final acceptance. (Mission matches are our reading of the optics specs and published mission data. The EOI itself doesn't name any.) Archived: indianspaceflight.in/archive… Source: isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/T… #ISRO #Cartosat #Resourcesat #EarthObservation

We’ve rolled out a massive update to indianspaceflight.in: Platform v3 🚀 More of you are using the platform on mobile, so we’ve optimised the UI for smaller screens. Desktop will still give you the best experience. What’s new: 🎨 Theme palette support, so you’re no longer limited to light and dark mode 🌑 Graphite Grey is the new default dark theme. The old dark theme stays as “ISF Retro”, so you can switch to whichever you like. ⚡ A smoother, faster platform overall 🧹 A simpler layout. We removed a few features that were rarely used, after feedback that v2 felt too cluttered. Enjoy, and do share your feedback!

NOTAM Alert: A new NOTAM (A3241/26) has been filed for GSLV-F18/NVS-03 mission from SHAR Range, Sriharikota. The window runs October 30 to November 11, 2026, with a daily slot of 17:00 to 21:00 UTC (22:30 to 02:30 IST). Mapped: indianspaceflight.in/notam?t… #IndianSpace #GSLV #GSLVF18 #NVS03 #NavIC #ISRO #Sriharikota

SDSC SHAR has floated a tender (SH202600128501, 23 Oct 2026) to manufacture, supply and erect the SC120 Retraction System Mast Structure at the Second Launch Pad, Sriharikota. SC120 is the LOX + ISROSENE semi-cryo stage being developed for the upgraded LVM3. 📐 What's being built • Two ~7.8 m tall steel masts on the Mobile Launch Pedestal (MLP), one on the LOX side and one on the ISROSENE side • ~12 t of fabricated structure in total, mostly S690QL high-strength steel ⚙️ How it works (per drawings) • Each mast holds an Umbilical Coupling Unit (UCU) mated to the vehicle at ~12.8 m elevation • At retraction, a ~543 kg counterweight drops inside the mast and pulls wire ropes over a top pulley, swinging the UCU and hoses clear • Shock absorbers at the base (235 kN, 150 mm stroke) arrest the counterweight 📅 Timeline • Delivery to SHAR within 3 months of PO • Erection on the MLP within 1 month of site clearance • Bids due 12 Nov 2026, price bids open 23 Nov 💡 SC120 pad infrastructure at SLP is now moving into execution. #ISRO #SC120 #LVM3 #Sriharikota #IndianSpace

🌍Chairman ISRO / Secretary DOS at the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC 2026), Antalya, Türkiye (5–9 Oct) Organised by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) and hosted by the Turkish Space Agency (TUA). 🎙️Key engagements: • IAA Academy Day & Board of Trustees meeting (4 Oct) • High-level plenary "One-to-One interviews with Global Space Agency Leaders": spoke on space benefits for all, space sustainability and international cooperation • IAF Space Leaders' Summit (5 Oct): highlighted India's use of space tech for disaster mitigation • Artemis Accords Principals meeting: discussed capability building for emerging space nations and taking Accords discussions to UNCOPUOS 🤝Bilateral meetings with NASA, ESA, CNES, ASI, ASA, CSA, UKSA, CONAE, JAXA, NLSA and Uzbekistan Space Agency Topics: human spaceflight, lunar exploration, Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) and capacity building IN-SPACe Chairman Dr Pawan Goenka joined to present India's private space ecosystem 🇮🇳 Indian Space Pavilion set up jointly by ISRO, IN-SPACe and NSIL, showcasing 10 Indian space industries/start-ups 🥂 IN-SPACe Networking Reception (6 Oct) on India's emerging space ecosystem, also addressed by the Indian Ambassador to Türkiye The focus was on seeking global partnerships for key technology areas under the Space-2047 vision. #ISRO #IAC2026 #INSPACe #NSIL #BAS #ArtemisAccords

📢 Update: LPSC Bengaluru has extended the deadline for its Low Temperature Sensor Calibration Facility tender (No. LB 2026000322 01) 📅 Revised schedule: • Bid deadline: 6 Nov 2026, 14:00 (earlier 16 Oct) • Technical bid opening: 6 Nov 2026, 14:05 • Price bid opening: 20 Nov 2026, 14:00 (earlier 4 Nov) All other terms and conditions remain unchanged. #ISRO #LPSC #Cryogenic #Tender #IndianSpaceflight

Department of Space, through the Construction & Maintenance Group (CMG) at SDSC SHAR, has invited e-tenders for construction of the Atmospheric & Space Science Research Facility (ASRF) building at Chandipur, Odisha. 💰Estimated cost: ₹906 lakh (~₹9.06 crore) • Civil & Plumbing: ₹567 lakh • Electrical: ₹297 lakh • AC: ₹42 lakh ⏳Completion: 15 months from work order 👷Who can apply: • Indian bidders only • Built RCC framed buildings (civil + electrical) in the last 7 years: 1 work ≥ ₹724.8L, or 2 ≥ ₹543.6L, or 3 ≥ ₹362.4L • At least one building with pile foundation • Avg annual turnover ≥ ₹271.8L, solvency ≥ ₹362.4L • Electrical & AC works can be done directly or via a declared specialised agency (valid electrical licence needed) • JV/sub-contract experience not counted 📅Key dates: • Document download: 23 Oct – 12 Nov 2026 • Bid deadline: 20 Nov 2026, 2:30 PM • Technical bid opening: 23 Nov 2026 💵EMD: ₹18.12 lakh (MSEs exempt) #ISRO #SDSCSHAR #Odisha #Chandipur #Tender

🌏 Astreva Aerospace, a student startup based in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, flew mission Vetriyaan, a near-space mission carried out using a high-altitude balloon 🌌 This is the onboard footage from the mission at its peak altitude of ~25.4 km. The mission lasted around 3 hours and 10 minutes. More details about the mission will be shared soon. This footage was shared exclusively with @ispaceflight_in! Congratulations @ASTREVA_SPACE on your first near-space mission! Looking forward to your future missions!

ISRO has released the 4th Announcement of Opportunity (AO) for Aditya-L1, inviting solar physicists worldwide to propose observations from the Sun–Earth L1 point. #AdityaL1 #ISRO This cycle offers observation time on two remote-sensing payloads: 🔹 VELC – Visible Emission Line Coronagraph 🔹 SUIT – Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope 🗓️ Approved observations run January–March 2027 📅 Proposal deadline: 20 November 2026

ISRO shares a detailed update on its LOX-Methane engine programme, the propulsion planned for the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) and for the future heavy-lift vehicle for India's crewed lunar landing (target 2040). Why methane? - Clean combustion - Low maintenance, which helps reusability - Can be made on Mars from CO2 + water ice, which helps future Mars missions and human settlement LM20-TD: the demonstrator (2019–2020) - 20-tonne thrust technology demonstrator built from existing CE-20 cryogenic engine subsystems - Converted to LOX-CH4 by modifying the propellant flow control and engine start-up systems - Gas generator cycle, with thrust chamber, fuel-rich GG, LOX & fuel turbopumps, igniter, and a mixture ratio control valve with electric drive - Test sequence worked out with an in-house mathematical model - 1 cold flow + 5 hot tests at IPRC - Gave key data on chill-down, ignition, engine start, combustion and rotor-dynamics LME1100: the main engine (started 2023) - 1100 kN thrust, Gas Generator Cycle - Designed to be industry-friendly and cost-effective - Over 70% of components made by additive manufacturing (3D printing) with industry partners across India Gas Generator - 3D printed, in qualification tests at IPRC - Sub-scale GG tests worked out the ignition sequence with a spark torch igniter and tested the 3D-printed injector elements - First ignition test of the full-scale GG on October 9, 2026, with more tests planned Thrust Chamber - Sub-scale hot test campaign at IPRC - Proved the new manufacturing methods planned for the full-scale chamber - Settled the best injector configuration - Showed both oxidiser-rich and fuel-rich spark torch igniters working Turbopumps - LOX and methane turbopumps made by Indian industry - 3D-printed LOX pump impeller spin-tested at LPSC up to its rated speed - Seals and bearings in qualification at LPSC and IPRC - Cold flow tests of the integrated turbopumps ongoing at IPRC Ignition systems - GOX-GCH4 spark torch igniters, oxidiser-rich and fuel-rich - Semiconductor spark plug igniter (LPSC + VSSC + IIST) - Laser ignition, demonstrated with GOX-GH2 and GOX-GCH4 What's next - Integrated LME1100 engine ready by mid-2027, followed by a hot test series including different thrust throttling profiles - Design completed for a 2400 kN Full Flow Staged Combustion Cycle (FFSCC) engine, meant for a future human-rated heavy-lift launch vehicle for crewed lunar landing missions Source: isro.gov.in/LOX_Methane_engi… #ISRO #LOXMethane #LME1100 #NGLV #IndianSpace