Contact with GSAT-6A satellite lost; 2nd failure for Isro in 6 months

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said that it has lost communication with GSAT-6A satellite, a communication satellite launched on Thursday.

Isro said that 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.

GSAT-6A, similar to GSAT-6 is a high power S-band communication satellite configured around I-2K bus. This is the second mission failure for Isro in six months, with the previous one being the PSLV-C39. 

The mission life of spacecraft was planned to be about 10 years.

The satellite was expected to provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6 m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite based mobile communication applications.

The GSAT 6A was in news even before the launch, but with a controversial touch. This was one satellite, along with GSAT 6, which was launched already, mentioned in the foiled Antrix- Devas deal. Under the $300 million deal, a majority of the S-Band wavelength of the communication satellite was allegedly offered to Devas by leasing almost 90 per cent of the transponders in GSAT 6 and GSAT 6A, according to earlier reports.