Chennai: The Countdown for the launch of the 2,232 kg Navigation Satellite NVS-01 using its heavy rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle–GSLV-F12–on May 29, will begin tomorrow at the spaceport of Sriharikota.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources said today that the three-stage rocket carrying the Satellite will lift off from the Second Launch Pad at 1042 hours on Monday from the SDSC-SHAR Range.

For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01. During the countdown, propellant filling operations will be carried out in the 51.73 m tall launch vehicle, with a lift off mass of 420 tons.

The first and second stages were powered by solid and liquid propellants, while the third stage was powered by the indigenous cryogenic engine.

GSLV-F12 will deploy NVS-01 into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Subsequent orbit raising maneouvers will be carried out for taking the satellite to the intended orbit. NVS-01 is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services.

NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features.

This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services.

This is the first GSLV mission this year.

This is the fourth mission for ISRO in the year 2023 after the successful launch of the second developmental flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle SSLV-D2 in February, the LVM-M3 mission in March and the PSLV-C55 mission in April.