INSAT blows up after blast-off

[KashifAsrar]

INSAT blows up after blast-off


Failed Launch Puts Question Mark Over Space Programme, Digital Services

By Swati Das/TNN


Sriharikota: The launch of India’s heaviest communication satellite INSAT-4C ended in a fiery disaster on Monday evening, singing India’s reputation as a space power.
The doomed mission, which could have boosted direct-to-home TV service, also took down with it Rs 256 crore—Rs 160 crore for the vehicle and Rs 96 crore for the satellite. It also puts a big question mark on on the future space programmes of a country that is planning
an unmanned moon mission and delivery systems for nuclear weapons.
“There seems to be a mishap in the first stage separation. Things have gone wrong,” Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair said.
The launch was dogged by technical problems from the very beginning. Initially, the second operational flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle carrying the satellite was scheduled for 4.30 pm. But it had to put off till 5.20 pm due to a technical glitch. It was further postponed till 5.40 pm, but it blasted off at 5.38 pm.
However, Nair denied any link between the glitch which delayed the launch and the problem which doomed the mission. The delay was due to a “minor” problem of ground servicing, he said. One of the pumps with the cryogenic fluid had opened and failed to re-seal. A team had to be sent to close it and ensure that all parameters were normal before the lift-off.
Nair said the lift-off was normal, but in a few seconds the vehicle was found to be off trajectory and in 60 seconds, some parts had broken up. Immediately, the ‘destruct command’ was given to ensure the wayward rocket did not fall on a populated area. It crashed into the Bay of Bengal.
However, the rocket blew up becuase, according to Nair, one of the four strapon engines had failed. While the other three developed normal velocity, the pressure in the affected motor dropped to zero. At this stage, the vehicle was out of control. Normally a deviation of up to 4° is allowed. But in this case, it had deviated by 10°.
Isro sources said this was the first time a vehicle had crashed at the first stage. Vehicles had failed earlier either at the launch stage or the last stage of separation.
Asked if there could have been sabotage, Nair said this too would be probed. He said during the 60-second flight an enormous amount of data had been collected and would be analysed. He denied that the cause of the failure was the weight of INSAT-4C (2,168 kg).
The launch of INSAT-4B, scheduled for take-off in 2007, would be advanced, Nair said. Since it’s a much heavier satellite, it would be launched from Kourou in French Guiana. Separate arrangements would be made for the allocation of INSAT transponders after talks with various channels.

 

[KashifAsrar]

Space missions and the orbit of risk


By Srinivas Laxman/TNN


Mumbai: Monday’s failure of the GSLV is ample proof that there is always an element of risk in all space missions.
Of the 20 scheduled launches between 1979 and 2005, there were only four failures. The first one was on August 10, 1979, when the SLV-3 plunged into the Bay of Bengal minutes after it took off. Its mission director was none other than APJ Abdul Kalam.
According to scientists, despite the fact that the computer had given the ‘hold’ which means it advised against launching the rocket because of technical reasons, scientists then had asked Kalam to override the command saying it was a minor problem which will not pose any threat to the flight. Satish Dhawan who was chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation took the blame for the failure and faced the media. The next flight on July 18, 1980, was successful and Dhawan gave the entire credit to Kalam.
Then came the new Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), an advanced version of the SLV-3, and it had two successive failures (March 24, 1987 and July 13, 1988) causing tremendous demoralisation among space scientists. Investigations by expert committees had cited ‘‘serious technical problems’’ as the cause of the setback. They made a number of recommendations, including redesigning portions of the rocket. These were implemented and the last flight of the ASLV on May 4, 1994 was successful.
Likewise, the maiden flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) also failed on September 20, 1993. The remaining ones succeeded making it a true work horse of ISRO. In all there were eight successful PSLV missions. On the first flight of the GSLV on March 30, 2001, the computer a u t o m at i c a l ly stopped the flight a second before lift off when it detected a technical problem. After this there were three flights of successful lift offs.
Space scientist Mayank Vahia of the Tata Institute of Fundemental Research said: ‘‘Space flights are a high risk phenomena and problems can occur. India has the highest success rate in the world and I am sure ISRO will soon be back on its feet.’’
But Nehru Planetarium director Piyush Pandey was critical. ‘‘I wish they had tried with a dummy satellite rather than a real one.’’ remark is considered significant because if the mission was successful marketing the GSLV to foreign customers would have been easy.
Space failures happen. When the US tried to catch up with the Russians, it met with a number of failures until the Explorer-I satellite successfully went up on January 31, 1958.

 

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India’s space ambitions won’t be hit: Scientists


TIMES NEWS NETWORK


Bangalore: Space scientists in the country may be in an introspective mood over the failure of the GSLV launch from Sriharikota on Monday, but they have no doubts about the continued success of India’s space programme.
Space scientist U R Rao said, ‘‘It’s an unfortunate event. Information is pouring by the minute and I am sure scientists will find out the reason behind the failure and set things right. But at this point it’s important to remember that India has had very few failures in space programmes and this does not mean a halt. We have a long way to go.’’
V K Atre, former scientific adviser to the prime minister, felt that scientists would now need to exercise greater determination in ensuring India’s space programme is a success. He said: ‘‘Out of experience I can say scientists work with greater determination after failures. It’s not just me, look at American space programmes, they hit back at every failure. I am sure we will go for a successful relaunch of Insat-4C. We have tasted success before and we would in future too.’’
Space commission member Roddam Narasimha added: ‘‘We have to unearth the facts. We have to understand what exactly has happened. Only investigations can reveal what the case is. Failure of one satellite cannot harm the space research programme.’’
Astronaut Rakesh Sharma observed, ‘‘There will be slowing down in the space programme, but we will come out of it successfully. We will learn from the experience and we will eventually come out stronger.’’