India has put its latest attempt to launch a rocket designed to place large satellites on hold after finding a leak just two hours before the scheduled lift-off.
The launch of the GSAT-14 telecoms bird would have been the first to use its Geostationary…
India has put its latest attempt to launch a rocket designed to place large satellites on hold after finding a leak just two hours before the scheduled lift-off.
The launch of the GSAT-14 telecoms bird would have been the first to use its Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) since a pair of failures in 2010.
Indian space agency ISRO said it will announce a revised launch date after assessing the problem on the rocket’s liquid second stage.
The new indigenously developed cryogenic engine that fuels the rocket’s third stage did not appear to be connected with the issue. Cryogenic engines use low-density liquefied gases for fuel, and ISRO had been ordering them from Russia before developing its own.
But so far only the US, France, Japan, Russia and China have successfully placed satellites using their own engines.
An earlier version of GSLV’s upper stage that was carrying the GSAT-4 satellite failed to reach orbit when the engine failed after taking off in April 2010. Another attempt at launching GSLV in December of that year, this time for the GSAT-5P bird, also failed.
Local reports detail a disagreement between India and Russia over the cause of the latest launch failure. One investigation reportedly found that a Russian-built interstage adaptor had snapped, while Russia pointed to a fault with the payload fairing.
Having first launched in 2001, the GSLV is the latest rocket in ISRO’s portfolio. But as a result of these and other launch failures it is reported to be the least reliable rocket in service statistically, with NASASpaceFlight.com giving it a success rate of just 28.6%.
