The Indian Space Research Organisation on Sunday confirmed that the Communication from the GSAT-6A satellite, which was launched on March 29, has been lost.
Efforts are currently underway to establish a link with it, ISRO added after maintaining an unusual silence on the health of the spacecraft.
The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out by Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) Engine firing for about 53 minutes on March 31, in the morning, the ISRO said in a statement.
“After the successful long-duration firings, the communication from the satellite was lost when it (satellite) was on course for the final firing (to place the satellite in its final geostationary orbit), scheduled for April 1 (Sunday),” ISRO) said in a statement.
“Efforts are underway to establish the link with the satellite,” it added.
The ISRO had successfully put into orbit its latest communication satellite GSAT-6A after a perfect launch of its powerful geosynchronous rocket (GSLV-F08), from its spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The satellite would help in mobile communication even from very remote locations through hand-held ground terminals.
The 2140-kg communication satellite GSAT-6A is aimed at helping in mobile communication even from very remote locations through hand-held ground terminals.
With a mission life of about 10 years, GSAT-6A is aimed at providing a thrust to mobile communication through multi-beam coverage facility.It is expected to be a shot in the arm for the armed forces.
The satellite was to be placed in its intended orbit after manoeuvres from the space agency’s Master Control
Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka, about 180 km from Bengaluru.
Only after the communication link is re-established with the satellite can it be placed in its intended orbit.
(With agencies inputs)