ISRO expert committee to analyse GSLV blow-out
27 Dec 2010
Bangalore: Indian space scientists are analysing data to find out the reasons for the failure of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) mission and are likely to constitute an expert committee to inquire into the matter.
"Teams are looking at the data to find out the reason for what happened," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spokesman S Satish said here.
"A Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) is likely to be constituted in the next one or two days," he said.
The GSLV-F06 rocket, which was powered by a Russian cryogenic stage and was carrying the GSAT-5P communication satellite as its main payload, was detonated in mid-air by ISRO mission controllers on Saturday following technical deviations soon after lift-off from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.
The GSAT-5P satellite, a powerful replacement for the 1990's INSAT-2E, was meant to boost communication services in the country. Originally scheduled for launch on 20 December it was delayed after pre-launch check-ups discovered a problem with a leaking fuel valve in the cryogenic stage.
The GSLV programme has been prone to a high rate of failure and this is its third failure in seven missions – an earlier launch in April, the GSLV-D3 carrying the GSAT-4 crashed into the Bay of Bengal on 15 April.
