ISRO achieves milestone: Hits a century

ISRO marks 100th launch; GSLV-F15 succeeds in placing NVS-02 in planned orbit.

- R ANIL KUMAR

SRIHARIKOTA (ANDHRA PRADESH). In their 100th launch from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the GSLV-F15 carrying the NVS-02 at 6:23 am on January 29.

This is ISRO's first launch in 2025 and after V Narayanan took over as the space agency's chairman earlier in the month. This is ISRO's 100th launch from the country's space port.

"The GLSV-F15 has placed NVS-02 in the intended orbit. The mission is successful," declared ISRO Chairman Narayanan.

GSLV-F15 is the 17th flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and 11th flight with indigenous cryogenic stage. It is the eighth operational flight of GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic stage. The GSLV-F15 payload fairing is a metallic version with a diameter of 3.4 metres.

The GSLV-F15 with indigenous cryogenic stage placed NVS-02 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, ISRO said in a statement.