{"id":"f-91677779fp1-5e585f2f-cebb-5e64-bc5f-f56db3ffb02f","title":"Navigation Satellite NVS-02 Fails to Reach Orbit Due to Valve Malfunction","description":"India's space agency, ISRO, has revealed the cause behind the NVS-02 navigation satellite's failure to achieve its intended orbit. A critical valve malfunction prevented the spacecraft's engine from firing, leaving it stranded. This article details the findings of the investigation and the implications for future missions.","timestamp":1772351940,"category":"technology","headline":"Navigation Satellite NVS-02 Fails to Reach Orbit Due to Valve Malfunction","modifiedHeadline":"ISRO Probes Satellite Orbit Failure","subCategories":["scid_5481d7c6"],"subcategoriesName":["Space Exploration"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"7b48871c-c993-4956-b43d-6f46f8e1b036","bundleTitle":"Today In India","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"472","fcSummary":"india's nvs-02 navigation satellite remains in a suboptimal orbit a year after launch due to a faulty valve and disengaged connector, preventing its ascent. an isro investigation revealed the valve failure halted the orbit-raising engine, impacting the satellite's navigation mission. this incident follows recent psrv launch failures, prompting a national expert committee review of isro's processes.","summary":"NVS-02 satellite failed to reach orbit due to a valve malfunction, ISRO reveals. Investigation points to a disengaged connector.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/Daily_Digest/IN/en/feedpost-specials/f-91677779fp1-5e585f2f-cebb-5e64-bc5f-f56db3ffb02f","sourceUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/Daily_Digest/IN/en/feedpost-specials/f-91677779fp1-5e585f2f-cebb-5e64-bc5f-f56db3ffb02f","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/ToBoC7vR6xg0.webp","content":"

\n A year after its launch, India's NVS-02 navigation satellite remains in a suboptimal orbit. Discover how a faulty valve and a disengaged connector prevented its ascent, as revealed by ISRO's investigation.\n

The NVS-02 Ordeal

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The journey of India's NVS-02 navigation satellite took an unexpected turn shortly after its launch in January 2025. While the GSLV Mark 2 rocket successfully

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delivered the spacecraft into a geostationary transfer orbit, its subsequent attempt to maneuver into its designated operational orbit was unsuccessful. This failure left the satellite in a perpetual transfer orbit, ranging from 287 to 37,252 kilometers with an inclination of 20.85 degrees, as tracked by the U.S. Space Force. The inability to fire its onboard engine rendered the satellite incapable of fulfilling its primary navigation mission, a significant setback for ISRO's advancements in satellite technology and orbital maneuvering capabilities.

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Valve Failure Uncovered

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An in-depth investigation by an 'Apex Committee' convened by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) pinpointed a specific component failure as the root cause of the NVS-02 satellite's orbital predicament. The committee concluded that a pyrotechnic valve, crucial for the operation of the spacecraft's orbit-raising engine, failed to open as commanded. This malfunction prevented the necessary flow of oxidizer to the engine, thus halting the orbit-raising maneuver. Further analysis suggested that the signal intended to trigger the valve's opening did not reach it due to the disengagement of at least one contact within both the main and redundant connection paths. ISRO, while not elaborating further on the specifics of the electrical connection issue, has since implemented enhancements to the redundancy and reliability of its pyro system operations, with successful testing demonstrated on another satellite, CMS-03, launched in November.

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Broader Mission Challenges

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The NVS-02 incident is not an isolated event for ISRO, occurring amidst a period of three notable mission failures within a twelve-month span. Prior to the NVS-02 issue, a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carrying a radar imaging satellite failed to achieve orbit in May 2025 due to a third-stage malfunction. Even after returning to flight on January 11, another PSLV mission suffered a similar third-stage anomaly, resulting in the loss of the EOS-N1 imaging satellite along with fifteen other smaller payloads. ISRO has remained tight-lipped about the precise causes of these PSLV failures, with a national-level expert committee currently reviewing the reasons for the recent anomaly. This committee, reportedly including former ISRO chairman S. Somanath and a former principal science adviser to the Indian government, is tasked with examining potential organizational factors contributing to the PSLV setbacks and is expected to submit its findings by April.

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Navigation Satellite NVS-02 Fails to Reach Orbit Due to Valve Malfunction

SUMMARY