GSLV-F02 debacle not to hinder PSLV launch

Bangalore, Jul 13: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will carry on with its launch schedules, despite the failure of the GSLV-F02 mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota due to malfunctioning of one of the strap-on boosters in the first stage.

ISRO had planned to send PSLV-C7 before December this year to hurl into sun synchronous orbit the Cartosat 2 satellite, besides a Satellite Recovery Capsule and an Indonosian micro remote sensing satellite Lapon Tubsat, weighing over 50 kg. The Indonesian satellite was built and ready for shipment from that country.

Preparations were on for the launch of the 295-tonne PSLV. The launch would take place from the first launch pad of SDSC, ISRO sources said.

The sources, however, said the launch group would wait for the report of the 15-member Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) as the second stage of PSLV used liquid propulsion systems as in the case of the strap-on Vikas engines of GSLV. Out of 16 strap-on motors used in the GSLV programme, only one had malfunctioned.

The members of FAC, headed by Dr K Narayana, a former Director of SDSC, included Mr N Vedachalam, former Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, former Assistant Director of LPSC V Gnanagondi, Mr E Janardhana of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Mr S Ramakrishnan, Project Director of GSLV-Mark III, Mr N Sathyanarayana of SDSC, Mr T R Chandran, VSSC, Dr V Narayanan of LPSC, Mr P S Shastri of ISRO Headquarters, Mr T M Ganeshan of LPSC, Dr A R Uphadhya, Director of National Aerospace Laboratories, Mr B N Raghunathan of Indian Institute of Science, Prof Job Kurien of IIT, Chennai, and Mr G Ranganathan, Project Director, GSLV. Mr N Jayachandran Nair, Vehicles Director, would be the Member Secretary.

The sources said the Committee would go through the launch sequence analysis and visit other centres, especially VSSC, the main centre for launch vehicles.

UNI