ISRO Loses Contact With GSAT-6A Satelite 48 Hours After Its Successful Launch

The GSAT-6A, India's latest communication satellite, was successfully placed in orbit on Thursday.

New Delhi, Apr 1: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday confirmed that it has lost contact with the GSAT-6A satellite 48 hours after its successful launch. The GSAT-6A, India’s latest communication satellite, was successfully placed in orbit on Thursday. The satellite was launched with an aim to provide high-speed internet on mobile devices, especially to armed forces personnel deployed in remote areas.

“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),” the ISRO said in a statement. The state-run space agency successfully launched the GSAT-6A satellite, using its heavy rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08), in a copybook style.

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. “Efforts are underway to establish the link with the satellite,” said the statement.

The GSAT-6A satellite’s unique feature is its huge antenna– the largest ever built by ISRO. The diameter of the antenna is 6 meter, and it would open like an umbrella once the satellite reached its orbit. The big size makes the satellite powerful, which would ensure the exchange of data and making voice or video calls using the hand-held devices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated ISRO on the successful launch of the GSAT-6A communication satellite. This is the first mission for K Sivan, who assumed charge of the space agency in January.