"We have not been able to establish a link with GSAT-6A satellite so far. Even as we are continuously monitoring the satellite as days are progressing our chances of reviving it are less."
"The GSAT-32 will be launched in October 2019 from the spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh as a replacement for GSAT-6A " state-run Indian Space Research Organisation s (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan told reporters here.
The 2 000-kg satellite was meant to complement the GSAT-6 launched in 2015 and help in providing technologies for point-to-point communications for military.
The satellite could not be placed in its intended orbit 36 000 km above ground as it stopped responding to the manoeuvre from the space agency s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka about 180 km from here.
ISRO however is still continuing to monitor the satellite hoping to re-establish the link with it Sivan said.
If the satellite does not respond by 2019 it will be declared "dead" he added.
After the Rs 240-crore worth satellite stopped communicating due to a suspected power system failure the space agency has been cross-checking all the satellites ready to be launched for the same.
--IANS bha/ahm/tsb
