ISRO Faces Setback in NVS-02 Satellite Mission

On 2nd February 2025, ISRO's attempt to position the NVS-02 satellite in the desired orbit encountered a setback due to a failure in the spacecraft’s thrusters, despite an otherwise successful launch.

Key Points

Mission Setback: The NVS-02 satellite, launched on January 29 aboard the GSLV-Mk 2 rocket, failed to achieve the intended orbit as the thrusters onboard the spacecraft did not fire.
Orbiting in Elliptical Orbit: The satellite is currently in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is unsuitable for India’s navigation system.
Satellite Systems Healthy: Despite the setback, ISRO confirmed that the satellite's systems are healthy, and power generation from the deployed solar panels is nominal.
Alternate Mission Plans: ISRO is working on alternative strategies to utilize the satellite for navigation purposes while in its current elliptical orbit.
Launch Success: The GSLV rocket's launch was successful, with all stages performing flawlessly and the orbit being achieved with a high degree of precision.