ISRO has encountered a technical setback in its 100th mission, as a valve malfunction has prevented the planned orbit-raising operations for the NVS-02 satellite. Launched on January 29 from Sriharikota, NVS-02 is the second satellite in the NVS series and part of India’s NavIC navigation system. On Sunday, ISRO confirmed that the valves responsible for allowing oxidizer flow to the thrusters failed to open, preventing the satellite from reaching its designated orbital slot. The Master Control Facility in Hassan, Karnataka, was set to conduct the orbit-raising manoeuvres, but the issue has stalled further corrections.
Despite the malfunction, ISRO reassured that the satellite remains healthy in an elliptical orbit. The space agency stated that all launch vehicle stages performed flawlessly, achieving the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with high precision. Following the launch, solar panels were successfully deployed, power generation was nominal, and communication with ground stations was established. However, since the orbit-raising issue emerged after launch, no corrective manoeuvres have been executed yet, and alternative strategies are being explored to make use of the satellite in its current orbit.
The NVS-02 satellite is part of India’s regional navigation system and features an indigenous atomic clock. It was launched aboard the GSLV-F15 rocket at 6:23 AM on January 31, marking ISRO’s first mission under Chairman V. Narayanan and the agency’s first launch of 2025. However, experts warn that from its current elliptical orbit—ranging from 170 km at its closest to 36,577 km at its farthest—the satellite may not be able to fulfill its intended navigation functions. ISRO is now working on potential solutions to maximize the satellite’s utility despite the setback.
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