Indian Space Research Organization suffered the loss of an important earth observation satellite during its launch this morning when the GSLV rocket carrying it malfunctioned about five minutes after lift-off, according to the organisation.
The EOS-03 earth observation satellite was intended to be launched into a geostationary orbit as part of the mission. After taking off, the GSLV rocket experienced a malfunction, which resulted in the mission’s failure five minutes after takeoff.
“The first and second stages performed in a typical manner. Cryogenic Upper Stage ignition, on the other hand, did not take place due to a technical problem. The mission was unable to be completed as planned, according to the International Space Station, which did not provide any additional details.
The cryogenic upper stage is powered by a cryogenic engine that was developed in-house and operates at extremely low temperatures, using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as fuel. The cryogenic stage is expected to be significantly more efficient and provide greater thrust to propel heavier rockets such as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), which are designed to carry larger payloads into space. In addition, because of the extremely low temperatures that must be maintained (hundreds of degrees Celsius below zero), this type of propellant is considerably more complicated than conventional liquid and solid propellants. In the past, ISRO has experienced some difficulties with the cryogenic stage, though several launches have been completed successfully as well.