A navigation satellite was successfully launched today from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The rocket placed the satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) at a height of roughly 251 km over 20 minutes after liftoff, according to ISRO. The orbit of the navigation satellite has been successfully positioned.

“We now have the ability to launch even bigger payloads,” ISRO said.

NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is an Indian regional satellite navigation system, similar to GPS, that provides accurate and real-time navigation in India and a region extending to 1,500 km around the mainland. The Bengaluru-based agency is launching the second-generation navigation satellite series, a significant launch that would ensure the continuity of NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) services.

The positioning and timing accuracy of NavIC signals is greater than 20 metres and better than 50 nanoseconds, respectively.