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GSAT goes out of sight

India's experimental satellite GSAT-1 has gone out of the sight of Indian Space Research Organisation's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka since Monday evening, ISRO sources said.

The satellite, launched by the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D1) from Sriharikota on April 18, would, however again be visible after a few days, the sources told PTI in Bangalore.

The MCF with the support of ground stations, including one in Canada, was monitoring the spacecraft, the sources said.

They noted that the satellite was in a 23-hour orbit instead of the 24-hour orbit as was planned by ISRO. ISRO scientists have already indicated that the satellite, which had been drifting away from its space home, might be on an "irretrievable mission".

The scientists also said that the satellite was expected to be completely out of sight from MCF by the end of April and would reappear from May 14 to May 26.

Complete coverage of the GSLV launch

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