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NEW DELHI: India’s national space agency has lost contact with a satellite days after it was launched into orbit with much fanfare, authorities said on Sunday.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost communication with the GSAT-6A satellite as it prepared to undertake its third and final orbiting manoeuvre on Saturday.
“Efforts are underway to establish the link with the satellite,” ISRO said in a statement.
The satellite — an indigenous model weighing more than 2,000 tonnes — was designed to improve communications for the armed forces. It was launched from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.
The space programme is a source of much pride in India and an achievement that highlights its emergence as a rising power and major world economy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch on Thursday, saying he was “proud of @isro for taking the nation towards new heights and a brighter future”.
The launch was seen as another feather in the cap for ISRO scientists, who won Asia’s race to Mars in 2014 when an Indian spacecraft reached the Red Planet on a shoestring budget.
That feat burnished India’s reputation as a reliable low-cost option for space exploration, with its $73 million price tag drastically undercutting Nasa’s Maven Mars $671-million mission.
Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2018
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Comments (46) Closed
Apr 02, 2018 10:14am
Simply, a spy settalite is likely to be disappeared with all collected regional data! This is a technical disaster for India - go back to drawing board and find out the root causes!
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Apr 02, 2018 10:16am
It happens. If you do something constructive, there may be failed also. Learn from them and move on.
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Apr 02, 2018 10:20am
Hopeful of retrieving the satellite, the Isro chief said, "Gsat-6A is not out of control and we still hope we can reestablish contact with the satellite."
ISRO Engineers are well qualified and Best in the world, they know their job well.
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Apr 02, 2018 10:38am
This is very good news. Let's hope all the Indian satellites fail.
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Apr 02, 2018 10:44am
Not surprising!!
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Apr 02, 2018 10:58am
That’s just beyond their capabilities
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Apr 02, 2018 11:45am
No problem, Indian scientists know how to make it and how to correct it
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Apr 02, 2018 11:51am
This explains, why NASA spend $671 million instead of $73 million...so that they never lose contact with a satellite weighing tonnes.
Keep it up Modi Ji
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Apr 02, 2018 12:11pm
I hope India will not blame Pakistan for it.
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Apr 02, 2018 12:32pm
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani - spy satellites with high resolution camera is launched in polar orbit. this satellite, a communication satellite, was launched into gto and after 2nd elevation lost contact. it may take a week to get the control back or it will vanish forever ....
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Apr 02, 2018 12:32pm
Even if it failed nothing to worry. Failure is a step for success. We would launch another satellite in its place. Keep your moral very high ISRO.
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Apr 02, 2018 12:40pm
Sorry India.
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Apr 02, 2018 12:48pm
"The satellite — an indigenous model weighing more than 2,000 tonnes"
You sure it weighs more than 2,000 tonnes? The heaviest object in space, the International Space Station (ISS) weighs less than 500 tonnes!!
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Apr 02, 2018 12:51pm
The weight of International Space Station is 450 tons. With such a heavy weight at 2000 tonnes as reported by this news, it was bound to fall from sky.
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Apr 02, 2018 01:07pm
Yes it seems to possible failure. But no worry, If you are reading this news and my comment from future I can bet you ISRO will be miles ahead from this possible failure with greater accuracy.
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Apr 02, 2018 01:18pm
Good luck. These failures are always full of learning lessons which can be applied to the subsequent launches. The American program throughout the 50's and 60's was not without them either.
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Apr 02, 2018 01:24pm
@susmita He will not understand the technical terms
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Apr 02, 2018 01:35pm
Actually the indigenous engine worked so now India has perfected the rocket launching technology. The satellite which is not working is not important.
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Apr 02, 2018 01:56pm
@susmita - who do you think you are kidding Ms Susmita, as all spies claim to be ordinary people when caught red handed - like Kalbusion. Similarly, all satellites are designed and planned to perform certain missions along with some secret agendas for spy purposes.
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Apr 02, 2018 02:04pm
This is the essence and true hallmark of the so-called modern, innovative, top-class and state-of-the-art " made in India " technology based on old and obsolete Russian design. What a stupid and silly joke?
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Apr 02, 2018 02:09pm
It is a temporary loss of communication and it will be ok in next few days.ISRO scientists are highly talented and have experience of many successful launches.
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Apr 02, 2018 02:11pm
@Bikram - you have highlighted your IQ!
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Apr 02, 2018 02:47pm
Most of times Indian satellites are either found in Indian ocean or lose contact with the handlers
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Apr 02, 2018 02:50pm
That’s so humiliating for India
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Apr 02, 2018 02:57pm
people who sit back and do nothing, but critisise dont make mistake
people who work , do thing commit mistake, they learn from it and improve and move fowards
other like our neighbours just pass comments
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Apr 02, 2018 03:06pm
Because US never does transfer technology as it promises! Enough said.
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Apr 02, 2018 03:10pm
i m preparing for ISRO exam. Wish me luck guys!
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Apr 02, 2018 03:11pm
@Shams Altamash its a technical failure ur friends satellite just crashed yesterday they lost the contact in 2012. every country satellite faced this problem. but leave it its a TECHNOLOGY beyond ur knowledge
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Apr 02, 2018 03:32pm
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani RISAT Radar Imaging Satellite and remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT series are used for surveillance purposes,India has already announced that its using 13 satellites for Indian military satellite program
As Dawn already mentioned that ISRO lost contact with GSAT-6A satellite as it prepared to undertake its third and final orbiting maneuverer and it was launched to support the GSAT 6 satellite which launched in August 2015 by ISRO. GSAT 6 series was launched to improve the communication system, now with the GSAT 6A launch the communication would have been better. As two satellite were used in two-way communication
Hope you understood
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Apr 02, 2018 03:33pm
@Ahmed khan lehri I LIked it :)
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Apr 02, 2018 03:35pm
@Safdar - Sensible comment
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Apr 02, 2018 03:48pm
At play mysterious forces are. Clouded the vision is.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:00pm
Join us in our growth.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:14pm
@Ahmed khan lehri it's a satellite not a satellite dish
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Apr 02, 2018 04:17pm
To all Pakistani time to rejoice!
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Apr 02, 2018 04:24pm
Cannot be 2000 tonnes. It is 2 tonnes or we can say 2000 Kg
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Apr 02, 2018 04:29pm
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani You should read up about military communication satellites. This was one was meant to complement another already in orbit that enable troops to communicate with their HQ through hand-held devices.
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Apr 02, 2018 04:30pm
ISRo standards have fallen few scientists responsible should be fired for every failure . that is how we cultivate excellence . punish sloppy work and reward excellence
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Apr 02, 2018 04:35pm
Americans recently lost one of their most expensive miltary payloads right after a Falcon 9 launch. An Ariane rocket veered off course and landed its spacecrafts in a crooked orbit. All within the past few months. Chinese launches have failed several times during the past few years. Iranian attempts to launch small satellites using its converted missiles have met with repeated failures. Pakistan has never managed to launch even a peanut into orbit yet. In this case the Indian rocket placed the satellite precisely in its intended parking orbit, but the communications were cut after the satellite started its orbit raising operation.
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Apr 02, 2018 05:35pm
What a joke!
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Apr 03, 2018 06:43am
@BhaRAT
Failures are part of the space technology. ISRO learnt from its failures and able to provide space technology to India cost effectively
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Apr 03, 2018 10:28am
We shall try again and again . . ..
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Apr 03, 2018 10:47am
@Anti-Corruption_Pakistani
You need to to understand the difference between Geosynchronous and Polar Orbit before declaring a Satelite as Spy satelite. Spy satellites revolve at low orbits which is around 250-300 kms from earth.. Geosynchronous satellites revolve at 36000 kms above the earth..
Why would any scientist in sane state if mind out a Spy satellite at 36000km from the earth?
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Apr 03, 2018 07:52pm
@Vineeth Very well said, "Not even a peanut" says it all.
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Apr 04, 2018 04:53pm
It is always better to fail than succeed by chance. Also, we should seek help from NASA and see if they can help us retrieve the sat. No harm in seeking help and learning from a more knowledgeable organization.
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Apr 05, 2018 01:34am
It is surprising to know that such a big number of Indians read Dawn!!
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