The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has shared an update on its NVS-02 satellite, which is currently in an unplanned elliptical orbit. The navigation satellite was launched on January 29 aboard India’s GSLV-Mk 2 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center and was headed for geostationary orbit. However, a few days after the launch, the satellite was unable to perform orbital insertion maneuvers because its engines failed to start.
NVS-02 is the second satellite in the NVS series of ISRO‘s satellite constellation, designed to provide users in India with precise position, velocity and time (PVT) services. The satellite is to replace a series of first-generation satellites – the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. Its launch was also celebrated as the space power’s first launch in 2025 and the 100th launch overall, but the celebration did not last long.
At first, everything looked good for NVS-02. The satellite was successfully placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit, its solar panels were deployed, and it established communication with ground control. “All stages of the launch vehicle performed flawlessly and the orbit was achieved with a high degree of accuracy,” ISRO said in a statement on Sunday.
However, when it came to reaching the intended orbit, the valves responsible for pumping oxidizer to keep the spacecraft’s fuel burning failed to open, making it impossible to start its engines and increase its altitude in space. “The satellite’s systems are functional and the satellite is currently in an elliptical orbit,” ISRO added in a statement. “Alternative strategies for using the satellite for navigation in an elliptical orbit are being developed.”
The satellite’s geostationary transfer orbit was set with a perigee of 105 miles (170 kilometers) and an apogee of 22,727 miles (36,577 kilometers). According to SpaceNews, the US military’s Space Track catalog currently shows the satellite in a similar orbit with a perigee of 102 miles (165 kilometers) and an apogee of 23,352 miles (37,582 kilometers). At this point in the orbit, the satellite is likely to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere due to its low altitude, which exposes it to high atmospheric drag.
India plans 10 launches this year, hoping to set a new record as part of the country’s growing space ambitions. In August 2023, India became the fourth country to land on the moon, and its space agency plans to build an orbiting space station by 2035 and land astronauts on the moon by 2040.
