INSAT 4C Crash!
Big jolt to INSAT mission, rocket breaks up mid-air
From: CNN IBNSriharikota: In a major blow to India's space programme, the second operational flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F02 ended in a failure on Monday.
Seconds after a perfect takeoff, the 49-metre-long launch vehicle, deviated from its trajectory and plunged into the Bay of Bengal.
The three-stage 414-tonne launch vehicle of the ISRO, which lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Monday evening, started under-performing right from the start and veered off its path after travelling a few kilometres into the sky.
The 2.2 tonne satellite cost Rs 100 crore; the rocket cost Rs 150 crore.
While there was no immedate reaction from ISRO on the fiasco, officials described it as a big setback.
GSLV-F02 was carrying a 2,168-kg INSAT-4C, the latest satellite of the Indian National Satellite System series, aimed at augmenting the Direct-To-Home television services, facilitate video picture transmission, digital satellite news gathering and provide VSAT connectivity to National Informatics Centre.
INSAT-4C is the second satellite in the INSAT-4 series. The lift-off took place at 1738 hrs IST , exactly one hour behind schedule.
The launch was originally scheduled at 1638 hrs IST. It was deferred till 1715 hrs IST, before it was fixed at 1738 hrs IST. It was not immediately known whether adverse weather conditions posed a threat as the sky remained overcast.
ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair was to explain the reasons for the delay at the post-launch press conference.
The much-awaited launch then came unsuccessful with the GSLV, carrying the satellite, deviating a little bit from its chartered path, ISRO sources said.
After the vehicle lifted off from the launchpad at 1738 hrs IST, there was a slight deviation from its path, following which ISRO officials put the entire system on 'emergency condition.'
ISRO immediately declared an emergency and several areas near the launch site were evacuated as a precvautionery measure.
ISRO's Milestones
| 2005 | Successful launch of INSAT-4A by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana, (December 22, 2005). ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C6, successfully launched CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT satellites from Sriharikota(May 5, 2005). |
| 2004 | The first operational flight of GSLV (GSLV-F01) successfully launched EDUSAT from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota (September 20, 2004) |
| 2003 | ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C5, successfully launched RESOURCESAT-1 (IRS-P6) satellite from Sriharikota (October 17, 2003). Successful launch of INSAT-3E by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana, (September 28, 2003). The Second developmental launch of GSLV-D2 with GSAT-2 on board from Sriharikota (May 8, 2003). Successful launch of INSAT-3A by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana (April 10, 2003). |
| 2002 | ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C4, successfully launched KALPANA-1 satellite from Sriharikota (September 12, 2002). |
| 2001 | ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C3, successfully launched three satellites -- Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) of ISRO, BIRD of Germany and PROBA of Belgium - into their intended orbits (October 22, 2001). The first developmental launch of GSLV-D1 with GSAT-1 on board from Sriharikota (April 18, 2001) |
| 2000 | INSAT-3B, the first satellite in the third generation INSAT-3 series, launched by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana, (March 22, 2000). |
| 1999 | Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-P4 (OCEANSAT), launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C2) along with Korean KITSAT-3 and German DLR-TUBSAT from Sriharikota (May 26, 1999). INSAT-2E, the last satellite in the multipurpose INSAT-2 series, launched by Ariane from Kourou French Guyana (April 3, 1999). |
| 1998 | INSAT system capacity augmented with the readiness of INSAT-2DT acquired from ARABSAT (January 1998). |
| 1997 | INSAT-2D, fourth satellite in the INSAT series, launched (June 4, 1997). Becomes inoperable on October 4, 1997. (An in-orbit satellite, ARABSAT-1C, since renamed INSAT-2DT, was acquired in November 1997 to partly augment the INSAT system). First operational launch of PSLV with IRS-1D on board (September 29, 1997). Satellite placed in orbit. |
| 1996 | Third developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-P3 on board (March 21, 1996). Satellite placed in polar sunsynchronous orbit. |
| 1995 | Launch of third operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1C (December 28, 1995). INSAT-2C, the third satellite in the INSAT-2 series, launched (December 7, 1995). |
| 1994 | Second developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-P2 on board (October 15, 1994). Satellite successfully placed in polar sunsynchronous orbit. Fourth developmental launch of ASLV with SROSS-C2 on board (May 4, 1994). Satellite placed in orbit. |
| 1993 | First developmental launch of PSLV with IRS-1E on board (September 20, 1993). Satellite could not be placed in orbit. INSAT-2B, the second satellite in the INSAT-2 series, launched (July 23, 1993). |
| 1992 | INSAT-2A, the first satellite of the indigenously-built second-generation INSATseries, launched (July 10, 1992). Third developmental launch of ASLV with SROSS-C on board (May 20, 1992). Satellite placed in orbit. |
| 1991 | Second operational Remote Sensing satellite, IRS-1B, launched (August 29, 1991). |
| 1990 | INSAT-1D launched (June 12, 1990). |
| 1988 | INSAT-1C launched (July 21, 1988). Abandoned in November 1989. Second developmental launch of ASLV with SROSS-2 on board (July 13, 1988). Satellite could not be placed in orbit. Launch of first operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1A (March 17, 1988). |
| 1987 | First developmental launch of ASLV with SROSS-1 satellite on board (March 24, 1987). Satellite could not be placed in orbit. |
| 1984 | Indo-Soviet manned space mission (April 1984). |
| 1983 | INSAT-1B, launched (August 30, 1983). Second developmental launch of SLV-3. RS-D2 placed in orbit (April 17, 1983). |
| 1982 | INSAT-1A launched (April 10, 1982). Deactivated on September 6, 1982. |
| 1981 | Bhaskara-II launched (November 20, 1981). APPLE, an experimental geo-stationary communication satellite successfully launched (June 19, 1981). RS-D1 placed in orbit (May 31, 1981) First developmental launch of SLV-3. |
| 1980 | Second Experimental launch of SLV-3, Rohini satellite successfully placed in orbit. (July 18, 1980). |
| 1979 | First Experimental launch of SLV-3 with Rohini Technology Payload on board (August 10, 1979). Satellite could not be placed in orbit. Bhaskara-I, an experimental satellite for earth observations, launched (June 7, 1979). |
| 1977 | Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP) carried out. |
| 1975-1976 | Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) conducted. |
| 1975 | ISRO First Indian Satellite, Aryabhata, launched (April 19, 1975). Becomes Government Organisation (April 1, 1975). |
| 1972-1976 | Air-borne remote sensing experiments. |
| 1972 | Space Commission and Department of Space set up (June 1, 1972). ISRO brought under DOS. |
| 1969 | Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) formed under Department of Atomic Energy (August 15, 1969). |
| 1968 | TERLS dedicated to the United Nations (February 2, 1968). |
| 1967 | Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station set up at Ahmedabad. |
| 1965 | Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC) established in Thumba. |
| 1963 | First sounding rocket launched from TERLS (November 21, 1963). |
| 1962 | Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) formed by the Department of Atomic Energy and work on establishing Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) started. |
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