India’s cryogenic engine fails to attain height (Third Lead)

SRIHARIKOTA - India’s space programme suffered a setback Thursday as its indigenous cryogenic engine did not deliver expected results, developing a last-second technical snag after lift-off from the spaceport here.

“We are not sure whether the main cryogenic engine did ignite. We have to confirm after analysing the data which is expected to take two or three days,” Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K. Radhakrishnan told reporters here Thursday.

ISRO’s Rs.350-crore mission failed as its 50-foot rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Development 3 (GSLV-D3), deviated from its path minutes after the rocket blasted off at 4.27 p.m.

The GSLV D3 was carrying a GSAT 4 satellite it was supposed to put into orbit, but stopped emitting signals within minutes of the blast-off, after the rocket attained 60 km altitude and splashed into the Bay of Bengal.

The data from the rocket stopped coming after 505 seconds, ISRO officials said.

Radhakrishnan said the next GSLV launch with an Indian made cryogenic engine will be launched within a year.

The Rs.350-crore programme was not insured.

This is the first launch for Radhakrishan after he became ISRO chairman.