New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has encountered a major hurdle in its latest mission, as the NVS-02 satellite failed to reach its intended orbit due to a malfunction in its onboard thrusters. The space agency confirmed on Sunday that the satellite's orbit-raising operations could not proceed as planned after the oxidizer valves required to ignite the thrusters did not open.
The NVS-02 satellite, a crucial component of India’s indigenous Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, was launched on January 29 aboard the GSLV-Mk 2 rocket from Sriharikota. The launch itself was historic, marking ISRO’s 100th mission from the spaceport.
Despite a successful launch and deployment, the satellite is now stranded in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is not ideal for navigation purposes. ISRO, however, remains optimistic.
“The satellite systems are healthy, and communication with ground stations is established. We are working on alternative mission strategies to utilize the satellite for navigation despite its elliptical orbit,” ISRO stated in an update on its website.
Following the rocket’s deployment, solar panels were successfully deployed, and power generation remains stable. While the GSLV-F15 mission executed flawlessly in launching the satellite with high precision, the setback has left ISRO engineers looking for solutions to salvage the mission.
This unexpected challenge underscores the complexities of satellite deployment and ISRO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s space-based navigation capabilities. The agency is expected to provide further updates as it explores possible workarounds.
The NVS-02 satellite, a crucial component of India’s indigenous Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, was launched on January 29 aboard the GSLV-Mk 2 rocket from Sriharikota. The launch itself was historic, marking ISRO’s 100th mission from the spaceport.
Despite a successful launch and deployment, the satellite is now stranded in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is not ideal for navigation purposes. ISRO, however, remains optimistic.
“The satellite systems are healthy, and communication with ground stations is established. We are working on alternative mission strategies to utilize the satellite for navigation despite its elliptical orbit,” ISRO stated in an update on its website.
Following the rocket’s deployment, solar panels were successfully deployed, and power generation remains stable. While the GSLV-F15 mission executed flawlessly in launching the satellite with high precision, the setback has left ISRO engineers looking for solutions to salvage the mission.
This unexpected challenge underscores the complexities of satellite deployment and ISRO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s space-based navigation capabilities. The agency is expected to provide further updates as it explores possible workarounds.