The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Saturday lost contact with their recently launched communication satellite GSAT-6A + less than 48 hours after it was launched on Thursday.
According to the Times of India, After the textbook launch onboard GSLV-F08 on Thursday, Isro successfully completed the first orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A Satellite at 9.22am on Friday, which saw the satellite changing its closest and farthest point from earth besides changing its inclination.
The LAM (liquid apogee motor) engine worked perfectly fine, and the first orbit raising manoeuvre was a success, and the satellite reached the right spot as intended, a source said.
The second orbit raising manoeuvre was scheduled for 10.51am on Saturday, and well-placed source said that the operation was also completed with a successful firing of the LAM engine. The agency received data from the satellite for about four minutes after the second orbit raising operation, after which the it went blank, a source said.
Initial analysis points to a power system failure, but Isro has not officially confirmed anything.
After remaining incommunicado the whole of Saturday, Isro, on Sunday said:
“The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A satellite + has been successfully carried out by LAM Engine firing for about 53 minutes on March 31, 2018 in the morning. After the successful long duration firings, when the satellite was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and the final firing, scheduled for April 1, 2018, communication from the satellite was lost. Efforts are underway to establish the link with the satellite.”
While Isro says it is trying re-establish link, sources attributed the failure to a power system failure.
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