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A recently launched satellite is stuck in space after failing to fire its thrusters, preventing it from reaching its operational orbit.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) shared an update on its NVS-02 satellite, which is currently in an unplanned elliptical orbit. The navigation satellite launched on January 29 on board India’s GSLV-Mk 2 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, headed toward a geostationary orbit. A few days after launch, however, the satellite was unable to carry out its orbital raising maneuvers after failing to fire its thrusters.
NVS-02 is the second satellite in ISRO’s NVS series, a constellation designed to provide accurate Position, Velocity and Timing (PVT) service to users in India. The satellite is set to replace the first generation satellite series, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. Its launch was also celebrated as the space-faring nation’s first launch of 2025 and its 100th launch overall, but the party didn’t last long.
Things were initially looking 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 the launch vehicle stages performed flawlessly and the orbit was achieved with a high degree of precision,” ISRO wrote in a statement on Sunday.
When it came to reaching its designated orbit, however, the valves responsible for pumping oxidizer so that the spacecraft’s fuel can burn failed to open, making it impossible to fire its thrusters and raise its altitude in space. “The satellite systems are healthy and the satellite is currently in elliptical orbit,” ISRO added in its statement. “Alternate mission strategies for utilising the satellite for navigation in an elliptical orbit is being worked out.”
The satellite’s geostationary transfer orbit was set at a perigee of 105 miles (170 kilometers) and apogee of 22,727 miles (36,577 kilometers). The U.S. military’s Space Track catalog currently shows the satellite in a similar orbit, with a perigee of 102 miles (165 kilometers) and apogee of 23,352 miles (37,582 kilometers), according to SpaceNews. At this point in its orbit, the satellite is likely to reenter through Earth’s atmosphere due to its low altitude, which exposes it to high atmospheric drag.
India is planning 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 is planning on building an orbital space station by 2035 and land astronauts on the Moon by 2040.
