The Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV D-3 - India's very own cryogenic rocket - failed to ignite at stage 3 in an attempt to launch the heavy GSAT-4 communication satellite from the Satish Dhavan Space Centre, Sriharikota, yesterday.
The goal to put the heavy GSAT-4 communication satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit could thus not be met, as the rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal along with its two payloads, GSAT-4 and GAGAN, 293 seconds after its takeoff.
The GSLV D-3 faced no hurdles till the countdown ended after it (the countdown) began at 11:27am on Wednesday, and lifted off exactly at 4:27pm as per schedule. Things went awry in the 3rd upper stage, as the engine failed to ignite and start up. Had everything gone according to plan, the rocket would've launched the GSAT-4 into orbit 720 seconds after being fired.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, braving the heat after acute initial disappointment, said the organization was not sure if the main engine was indeed ignited. He said that it will take 2 or 3 days to discover exactly what went wrong and what corrective measures must be taken up.
Within one year, ISRO plans to accomplish the launch. ISRO also aims to launch the GSAT-5B and GSAT-6 communication satellites, the former in September and the latter later in the year. India has used five out of the seven Russian-built engines it bought till now, and the remaining two cryogenic engines will be used for the launch of these satellites.