NEW DELHI: India´s national space agency has lost contact with a satellitedays after it was launched into orbit with much fanfare, authorities saidSunday.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost communication with theGSAT-6A satellite as it prepared to undertake its third and final orbitingmanoeuvre on Saturday.

“Efforts are underway to establish the link with the satellite,” ISRO saidin a statement.

The satellite — an indigenous model weighing more than 2,000 tonnes — wasdesigned to improve communications for the armed forces.

It was launched from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

The space programme is a source of much pride in India and an achievementthat highlights its emergence as a rising power and major world economy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch Thursday, saying he was”proud of isro for taking the nation towards new heights and a brighterfuture”.

The launch was seen as another feather in the cap for ISRO scientists, whowon Asia´s race to Mars in 2014 when an Indian spacecraft reached the RedPlanet on a shoestring budget.

That feat burnished India´s reputation as a reliable low-cost option forspace exploration, with its $73 million price tag drastically undercuttingNASA´s Maven Mars $671-million mission.