India’s blossoming space program was set back April 15 by the failure of their Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3).
The GSLV-D3 vehicle lifted off successfully, but the first flight of a home-grown cryogenic upper stage did not succeed.
That flight test of the indigenous cryogenic stage was to inject a GSAT-4 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. “It is yet to be ascertained whether the cryogenic engine did ignite. The vehicle was seen tumbling, lost altitude and finally splashed down in the sea,” explained an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) press statement.
Detailed analysis of the flight data is being carried out to find out the exact reasons for the failure and take corrective measures to realize the next flight test of the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage within the next year, ISRO said.