India’s GSLV-D3 Rocket Fails, Tumbles into Bay of Bengal during Lift-off

During the lift-off, India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV – D3 has tumbled into the Bay of Bengal, meaning failure of country’s quest to achieve total independence in cryogenic engine technology, said media reports.

The incident occurred after the indigenous cryogenic engine ignited on time 304 seconds following the lift-off but the two steering engines of the cryogenic stage seemed not to have ignited, reports said.

These two steering engines control the pitch, roll and yaw of the rocket.

Speaking to the ISRO scientists and engineers in the mission control centre, chairman K Radhakrishnan said that the vehicle performed normally upto the second stage and was speeding at a velocity of 4.9 km per second with indications being that the cryogenic engine ignited, reports said.

“However, we saw the vehicle tumbling and losing control as the two vernier (steering) engines may not have ignited,” he was quoted as saying.

“We will put all efforts to ensure that the next flight with the indigenous cryogenic engine takes place within a year,” he was quoted as saying.

He said that 18 years were spent in developing this complex cryogenic technology.

(Based on internet reports)