India's Sophisticated communication and entertainment satellite gets blasted in mid air after 2nd stage Rocket engine failure[Video]

Prestigious, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), suffered a major setback on cryogenic engine system usage. Isro's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV)-F06 launch vehicle failed to put communication satellite GSAT-5P in orbit after being destroyed in mid-air.

This GSLV-F06 engine was powered by Russian cryogenic engine system, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 4:04 PM IST on Saturday, Dec 25, But in mid-air, the rocket deviated from its projectile path and exploded mid-air destroying the communication satellite GSAT-5P worth Rs.125 crores($27.7 million).

According to the statement issued by ISRO, "The rocket's first stage seemed to have performed normally. The problem seems to have cropped up in the second stage as the rocket didn't get sufficient thrust,"

The satellite, GSAT-5P, weighs 2,130 kg, with 24 C-band transponders and 12 extended C-band transponders was to ensure continuity of telecom, television and weather services which was scheduled to replace the INSAT-2E satellite, which was put in orbit in 1999.

The satellite, developed by ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, was the fifth in the GSAT series. It had a designed mission life of 12 years.

The launch of the satellite, which was originally scheduled for December 20, had been postponed after a leak in the Russian cryogenic engine on board the launch vehicle.

This is the second major failure this year for ISRO on cryogenics after the previous GSLV mission with the country's maiden cryogenic engine hit a snag and the rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal on April 15 this year.

The Russians had supplied seven cryogenic engines long back, and India has used six of them till date.

- Various Media Inputs

India's Sophisticated communication and entertainment satellite gets blasted in mid air after 2nd stage Rocket engine failure[Video]