ISRO in tumult: lost contact with the GSAT-6A

Context:

• Within less than 48 hours, ISRO has lost contact with the GSAT-6A communication satellite.

Background:

• Launched on: 29^th March, 2018
• The first orbit-raising operation of the satellite was successfully carried out by firing the satellite’s LAM (liquid apogee motor) engine: 30^th March, 2018
• Note:  This put the satellite in an oval orbit around the earth.
• second orbit raising manoeuvre was successfully carried out: 1^st April, 2018
• 4 minutes after the orbit-raising operation, the satellite stopped sending data.
• A third orbit raising exercise was due on 1^st April, 2018.
• Note: In 2017, PSLV- C39 mission, carrying the IRNSS-1H navigation satellite also failed after the heat shield refused to open and release the satellite.

GSAT-6A:

• GSAT-6Ais a communications satellite.
• It is under the operation of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It features a 6-metre (20 ft) unfurlable S-band antenna similar to the one used on GSAT-6.
• It has both civilian and defence applications. 
• It will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as:
• demonstration of 6-metre S-Band unfurlable antenna,
• hand-held ground terminals and
• network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications.

Know more about GSAT

Reasons behind GSAT-6A’s loss of contact with ground station:

• Scientists suspect an on-board power system malfunction.
• When that happens, it automatically goes into safe mode and there is loss of the link.

Limitations of ISRO’s satellite launches:

• There’s a lack of launch and satellite infrastructure.
• Note: It can launch only smaller satellites of around 1000kg or less and place them in near-earth orbits coming down to only around 800km above the earth.
• There is a shortage of Indian transponders.
• There are challenges for India’s communications and security needs.
• It has fallen back on repetitive launches of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• Absence of the GSLV means that India is spending extra money and it is losing valuable opportunities for communications satellite launches.
• Although, PSLV is commercial value but limitations on payload mass and orbital altitude brings limited returns.

ISRO’s major failures so far:

• 10^th August, 1979: The first SLV3-E1 crashed into sea because of a defective valve.
• 31^st May, 1981: SLV3-D1 was a placed satellite into a wrong orbit.
• 24^th March, 1987: First flight of ASLV-D1 didn’t succeed because of the failure in the ignition of first stage.
• 13^th July, 1988: ASLV-D2, successor to ASLV-D1, too failed because of inadequate control.
• 20^th September, 1993: PSLV-D1, the very first in the PSLV series, failed when the rocket was unable to ignite after the second stage separated.
• 18^th April, 2001: GSLV Mk-I-D1, the first developmental flight of GSLV, failed to deploy its payload into the right orbit.
• 10^th July, 2006: GSLV Mk-I-F02 was destroyed because its trajectory went outside expected limits.
• 15^th April, 2010: The cryogenic upper stage of GSLV Mk-II-D3 failed after a fuel booster turbo pump packed up.
• 25^th December, 2010: GSLV Mk-I-F06 was destroyed after control was lost over liquid fuel boosters.
• 8^th August, 2017: The PSLV-C39 failed to launch the IRNSS-1H satellite because the heat shield didn’t open.

Conclusion:

• With additional resources and manpower, ISRO can accomplish much higher success-notches.
• Also, ISRO has been known for its frugal innovation, so these kinds of satellite glitches should be taken as lessons-to-be-learnt for future projects.