After Agni III, GSLV-FO2 also fails

Sriharikota, Jul 10 (UNI) It was a double blow to India in as many days, with the much-touted launch of GSLV-F02, carrying state-of-the-art communication satellite 'INSAT-4C' failing, a day after the maiden flight of advanced long-range ballistic missile 'Agni-III' was unsuccessful.

Seconds after a perfect lift-off from the second launch pad at SHAR, the 49-metre-long launch vehicle deviated from its trajectory and took a dive into the Bay of Bengal, plunging ISRO scientists and officials into grief.

The fifth failure in the more than four-decade long history of the ISRO, was a setback to the Indian Space programme and it had come after 12 consecutive successful missions.

The last unsuccessful mission was on September 20, 1993, when the PSLV-D1 failed to complete its flight and nosedived into the sea.

Sullen-looking ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair attributed the failure to a ''mishap in the first stage that led to the disintegration of GSLV-F02.'' Yesterday, the two-stage surface-to-surface missile 'Agni-III' crashed into the sea after a smooth lift off due to non-separation of the first stage from the second stage.

UNI AKN RP HT1910