Malfunctioning of regulator led to failure of GSLV-F2 mission

Bangalore, Sep 6 (UNI) Malfunctioning of a regulator in the fourth liquid propellant strap-on motor due to a manufacturing defect had led to the unsuccessful mission of GSLV F02 that was to hurl into space the INSAT 4C satellite to revolutionise DTH telecast in the country.

Announcing the findings of the 15-member Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) that went into the failed mission, Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said the failure had not ''derailed the GSLV programme'' and the next launch would take place in June next to put into space INSAT-4C (repeat satellite).

''It was a hidden problem that led to the break up of the launch vehicle 62 seconds into the flight,'' he said, adding that the FAC had concluded that the performance of all vehicle subsystems, except for the fourth strap on stage, was normal until 56.4 seconds.

A detailed analysis showed that one of the four gas regulators of the vikas engine in strap-on four booster had an ineffective thrust control. ''Instead of stabilising at 5.85 mega pascal (MPs) chamber pressure, it reached 7.11 MPs at 2.8 seconds. This was much beyond the design limit and the engine failed 0.2 seconds after lift off and five seconds after ignition.'' The reason for the failure ''could be an inadvertent error in manufacturing, which escaped the subsequent inspection and acceptance test procedures,'' Mr Nair said, adding that this regulator had functioned satisfactorily in all the 50 previous engines manufactured and tested so far.

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