No major design flaw in failed GSLV-F06: Ex-ISRO chief Nair

Mumbai, Feb 6 (PTI) There was no major design flaw in theGeostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle of the Indian SpaceResearch Organisation -- GSLV-F06 -- which crashed secondsafter take-off on December 25 last year, said Dr G MadhavanNair, chairman of the fact-finding committee.

The GSLV Analysis Committee headed by Nair will be ableto draw final conclusion within next few weeks, he told PTI.

GSLV-F06 (with GSAT-5P Satellite onboard) was normal upto 47.5 seconds from the lift-off. The events leading to thefailure started at 47.8 seconds. Soon, the vehicle starteddeveloping larger errors in its orientation, leading to thecrash, he said.

"We found that there is no major design flaw in GSLV-F06.

However, the fact-finding on the failure is continued, andmostly within next few weeks we should be able to draw aconclusion," Nair said here yesterday.

The committee has collected a lot of evidence fromphotographs and telemetry data, and the previous flight data,he said, adding, "the first level report has been submittedalready where we have clearly established which type ofconnectors got de-mated (came apart) in the flight.

Now we have to establish how they got de-mated. For thatadditional tests are required."

Nair also said, without elaborating, that since there wasno major design flaw, the failure could be due to severe"environment" conditions.