#Space #India @SkyrootA earned its celebration & deserves an unqualified one. #Vikram1 matters, @AgnikulCosmos will take it higher with #Agnibaan. It may be tempting to treat space policy as a relay where the baton has now passed! But hollowing out @isro isn't an option!

#Space #Update Isro is gearing up for the launch of #NVS03, while preparations for at least 3 other missions are being carried out parallelly. It’s targeting the nav sat launch, onboard #GSLVMk2, between Oct 15 & 20, multiple sources confirmed. 1/n File pic | credit @isro

Sources said the stacking of the first stage of the #GSLV has already been completed. “The launch campaign began on Sept 14 and we’re confident of completing it within a month,” one source said, while another added that all efforts were on for a launch on Oct 15. 2/n

Given that #NVS03, as I'd reported in Aug, is ready and already at Sriharikota means there will be no wait time for the sat. This is the next sat in India’s 2nd-gen #NavIC navigation constellation, and its launch assumes importance in the backdrop of an ailing NavIC prog. 3/n

Union minister Jitendra Singh recently conceded: “After completion of mission life of IRNSS-1F, the NavIC constellation has 3 sats — IRNSS-1B, IRNSS-1I and NVS-01 — for PNT services. To provide basic positioning service, a min of 4 operational sats are required in orbit.” 4/n

“...Hence, the NavIC constellation cannot provide standalone positioning service, however timing service is functional… The next NavIC satellite NVS-03 is ready for launch and two more satellites NVS-04 & NVS-05 are in the advanced stage of realisation,” he added. 5/n

That Isro’s previous mission to launch a nav sat, #NVS02, launched on Jan 29, 2025 failed, makes the Oct mission key. #NVS02, launched aboard #GSLVF15, was injected into an elliptical transfer orbit of 170 x 37,785 km with an inclination of 20.8°. 6/n

After the spacecraft separated from the rocket, it carried out a sequence of autonomous operations, including deployment of its solar panels and stabilisation of its orientation to ensure power generation. 7/n

However, the planned orbit-raising operations from the elliptical transfer orbit to the designated circular orbit could not be executed. Later, the apex committee that investigated why the NVS-02 spacecraft failed, traced the anomaly to the spacecraft’s pyro system. 8/n

According to the findings, the drive signal did not reach the pyro valve in the oxidiser line of the engine meant for orbit-raising manoeuvres. As a result, the engine could not be fired to shift the satellite from its transfer orbit into its final circular orbit. 9/n

The panel concluded that the most likely cause was the disengagement of at least one contact in each of the main and redundant connector paths. Despite redundancy built into the system, the electrical command required to trigger the pyro valve did not get through. 10/n

Isro had said that the committee had recommended a set of corrective measures to enhance redundancy and improve the reliability of pyro system operations in future missions. These recommendations have already been implemented. n/n