ISRO's Transparency and Challenges
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has faced criticism for opacity, prompting it to release a technical committee report on the NVS-02 satellite mission failure. The satellite, launched on January 29, 2025, aboard a GSLV rocket, failed to reach its intended orbit.
Key Findings
- An ‘apex’ committee concluded a signal intended to activate a key valve in the engine’s oxidiser line did not reach it.
- The failure was likely due to a loose or failed connection in the electrical connector, affecting both primary and backup lines, preventing signal transmission.
Lessons Learned and Implementation
- The insights from the failure were used in a subsequent mission on November 2, 2025, with the LVM-3 M5 launch vehicle successfully deploying the GSAT-7R satellite.
Analysis and Recommendations
The report suggests transparency in failure analysis should be routine for ISRO, which has become less open following back-to-back failures of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles in 2025. There is a need for caution in future missions without attributing blame or withholding critical information.
Institutional Reflections
- There should be clarity on whether the connection issue was due to oversight, failure by personnel or machines, or a manufacturing anomaly.
- Public confidence could be bolstered by revealing such information transparently.
- ISRO is urged to avoid insularity and adapt during times of global business model disruptions.
