Sudden drop in pressure led to GSLV-F02 failure: ISRO Chief

Sriharikota, July 10 (UNI) A Sudden drop in pressure in one of the four strap on motors in the first stage, led to the failure of GSLV-FO2, which was to inject a 2,168 kg INSAT-4C communication satellite in the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), ISRO Chief G Madhavan Nair said.

Addressing a press conference an hour after the failure of the mission this evening, a visibly disappointed Mr Nair attributed the failure to sudden drop in pressure to ''zero'' in one of the four strap on motors during the first stage.

''One of the four strap on motors did not develop necessary thrusts, when the other three strap on had the right thrust..it then became an issue of control and stability,'' Mr Nair said.

He said the collapse and disintegration of the vehicle was also due to a deviation in its angle. The normal divergence of an angle a vehicle could withstand was four degree, but in this case, the divergence was ten degrees, Mr Nair said.

''We will start the process of analysing the data available and pinpoint the exact reason for the failure in the next few days,'' he said.

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