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ISRO confirms losing contact with communication satellite GSAT-6A

Power system failure suspected; efforts on to establish link.

Nellore: Just two days after it launched the powerful communication satellite, GSAT-6A, the Indian Space Research Organisation has lost communication with the satellite.

The satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Shar, Sriharikota aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSAT-F08, on March 29 evening.

Once operational, the 2,066-kg indigenous communications satellite, which cost around '270 crore, could send and receive signals from hand-held devices.

According to Isro’s update on Sunday, the first orbit-raising operation of the satellite was carried out successfully by the liquid apogee motor engine at 9.22 am on Friday.

The second orbit-raising operation was also successfully carried out with the LAM engine firing for about 53 minutes on March 31, 2018 morning.

The satellite was on course for the normal operating configuration for the third and final firing, scheduled for April 1, 2018, when the ground station lost all communication with the satellite.

A failure in the power system is suspected but has not been confirmed. Efforts are still on to establish a link with the satellite.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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