Isro's NVS-02 satellite suffers setback after thrusters fail to fire

Isro's attempts to place the NVS-02 satellite in the desired orbit suffered a setback after the thrusters on board the spacecraft failed to fire, the space agency said on Sunday.

The NVS-02 satellite, which was crucial for India's own space-based navigation system, was launched on January 29 on board the GSLV-Mk 2 rocket which was Isro's 100th launch from the spaceport at Shriharikota.

"But the orbit raising operations towards positioning the satellite to the designated orbital slot could not be carried out as the valves for admitting the oxidizer to fire the thrusters for orbit raising did not open," the space agency said in an update to the GSLV-F15 mission on its website.

The satellite is orbiting the Earth in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) which is not suitable for the navigation system.

"The satellite systems are healthy and the satellite is currently in elliptical orbit. Alternate mission strategies for utilising the satellite for navigation in an elliptical orbit are being worked out," Isro said.

After the GSLV rocket placed the satellite in the GTO, the solar panels on board the satellite were successfully deployed and power generation was nominal.

Communication with the ground station has been established, the space agency said.

The launch on board the GSLV was successful as all the stages performed flawlessly and the orbit was achieved with a high degree of precision.