ISRO Loses Contact With Communication Satellite For Armed Forces 48 Hours After Launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed that it has lost contact with GSAT-6A, the country's newest communication satellite designated for military use, 48 hours after it was launched, the Times of India has reported.

According to reports, glitches appeared when the satellite when it was undergoing second orbit manoeuvre being controlled from the agency’s Master Control Facility in Hassan. The initial analysis points to a power system failure. However, the agency has not confirmed the cause of the satellite’s failure so far.

Launch on board the indigenous GSLV rocket, the communication satellite was successfully placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit at an altitude of around 35,900 km on Thursday. ISRO completed the first orbit raising operation of the satellite on Friday, during which it changed its closest and farthest point from the Earth and its inclination with respect to the equator.

Built to last ten years in space, GSAT-6A would have proved useful for security forces stationed in remote corners of the country. It would have helped personnel send and receive signals from hand-held devices. Currently, troops carry heavy communication equipment to remote locations to remain in touch with commanders.