NEW DELHI: India’s space agency, ISRO, has encountered a significant setback with its NVS-02 navigation satellite, which was launched on January 29, 2025.
Despite celebrating its historic 100th successful mission, ISRO has confirmed a malfunctioning valve in the satellite, preventing its thrusters from firing and halting its orbit-raising manoeuvres.
The NVS-02 satellite was sent into orbit aboard the GSLV-F15 rocket, but the malfunctioning valve has left it stuck in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) rather than reaching its intended operational orbit.
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While the satellite remains fully operational and communicates with ground control, the crucial orbit-raising operations have been delayed.
ISRO’s official statement confirmed that the satellite’s solar panels have deployed successfully, and power generation is nominal.
However, the issue with the valve has hindered the satellite’s Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) from firing, which is necessary to perform the orbit-raising manoeuvres. The oxidiser, which fuels the thrusters, is not being admitted due to the malfunctioning valve.
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Multiple sources within ISRO have confirmed that ongoing efforts to resolve the issue have yet to yield the desired outcome.
A dedicated committee has been set up to explore possible recovery strategies. Despite the setback, the satellite’s systems remain healthy, and communication remains intact.
ISRO is now considering alternate mission strategies to utilize the satellite from its current orbit.
As the NVS-02 is part of the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, it plays a crucial role in providing positioning, velocity, and timing services across India and surrounding regions.
As ISRO continues to work on fixing the issue, the final decision on the satellite’s future deployment remains pending.
This development marks a challenging moment in ISRO’s space navigation journey, though the agency remains committed to resolving the issue and maximizing the satellite’s utility.
