NEW DELHI, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) said Sunday that it has lost contact with the recently launched communication satellite GSAT-6A.
Officials said the satellite suffered a serious setback after the launch.
"The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A satellite has been successfully carried out by LAM Engine firing for about 53 minutes on Saturday in the morning. After the successful long duration firings, when the satellite was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and the final firing, scheduled for Sunday, communication from the satellite was lost," a statement issued by ISRO said.
Officials said scientists and engineers are working round the clock to correct the anomaly of the communications satellite.
"Efforts are underway to establish the link with the satellite," ISRO said.
Reports said GSAT-6A was one of India's biggest communication satellites with military applications. Officials said it carries one of the largest antennas that give it more power to ensures that a two-way exchange of data, voice or video, can be carried out through small hand-held devices from any corner of the country.
GSAT-6A was successfully launched into space and put into orbit on Thursday from Satish Dhawan Space Center -- the southern spaceport of Sriharikota, a barrier island off the Bay of Bengal coast in Andhra Pradesh. It was placed into a geosynchronous transfer orbit at an altitude of around 35,900 km.
On Aug. 31 last year, efforts by ISRO to launch navigational satellite IRNSS-1H, the eighth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), failed immediately after the launch.
