ISRO Suffers Setback in GISAT-1 Satellite Mission After Technical Anomaly

This was going to be ISRO’s second launch in the COVID-19-hit 2021.

By Agencies | Updated: 12 August 2021 10:51 IST

ISRO Suffers Setback in GISAT-1 Satellite Mission After Technical Anomaly

Photo Credit: ISRO

According to ISRO, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real-time observation of the Indian sub-continent

Highlights

2,268-kg GISAT-1 was originally slated to be launched from Sriharikota
Thereafter the launch was delayed due to COVID-19-induced lockdown
Earth observation satellite will provide country with real-time images

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) suffered a setback while trying to put the GISAT-1 earth observation satellite into orbit, due to a technical anomaly minutes after the rocket carrying the satellite was launched in the early hours on Wednesday.

"Performance of first and second stages was normal. However, Cryogenic Upper Stage ignition did not happen due to technical anomaly. The mission couldn't be accomplished as intended," the Indian Space Research Organisation said in a statement.

The satellite, meant for quick monitoring of natural disasters such as cyclones, cloudbursts, and thunderstorms, was launched on a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) at 0013 GMT (5:43am IST), from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

This was going to be only the second launch of the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency in the COVID-19-hit 2021. ISRO successfully launched PSLV-C51 mission on February 28 with Brazil's earth observation satellite Amazonia-1 and 18 co-passengers, including some built by students, on board.

The 2,268-kg GISAT-1 was originally slated to be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district, about 100 kms north of Chennai, on March 5 last year but was postponed a day before the blast-off due to technical reasons.

Thereafter the launch was delayed due to COVID-19-induced lockdown which affected normal work. It was scheduled for March 28 this year but a "minor issue" with the satellite forced its postponement. The launch was later expected in April and then in May but the campaign could not be taken up due to lockdown in parts of the country triggered by the second wave of the pandemic.

ISRO to Launch Data Relay Satellite to Track Gaganyaan

According to ISRO, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real-time observation of the Indian sub-continent, under cloud-free conditions, at frequent intervals.

GISAT-1 will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLV-F10 and, subsequently, it will be positioned in the final geostationary orbit, about 36,000 km above earth's equator, using its onboard propulsion system.

The earth observation satellite will provide the country with real-time images of its borders and also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters. Experts said positioning the state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite in geostationary orbit has key advantages.

Can Nothing Ear 1 — the first product from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's new outfit — be an AirPods killer? We discussed this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.