ISRO's EOS-2 satellite mission fails as cryogenic engine malfunctions

Sriharikota, Dt

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) missed out on making history at 9.3 am on Thursday. ISRO's Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-3) was launched on the GSLV-F10 rocket, but the mission went bad 10 seconds ahead of schedule. The mission control center stopped receiving signals and statistics from the cryogenic engine at 12.5 minutes during the third phase of the rocket. Tension then appeared on the faces of the scientists at the Mission Control Center. Then ISRO Chief K. Sivan said the mission could not succeed due to a technical defect in the cryogenic engine.

Earth Observation Satellite-2 from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota successfully completed two phases, but in the third phase ISRO failed to put the satellite into Earth orbit due to technical defects. At the same time the satellite was also destroyed. This was the eighth mission to be launched using an indigenous cryogenic engine.

The live broadcast of EOS-2 was stopped by ISRO immediately after the announcement of the ISRO President. Had the mission been successful, the satellite would have started taking pictures of India from around 10.30 am. With this launch, ISRO did three things together for the first time. First - Launched the satellite at 7.5 am, Second - Installing the Earth Observation Satellite in Geo Orbit. Third - Ozive payload fairing means sending a large satellite into space.

EOS-3 was launched from the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F1. The rocket was 52 meters high and weighed 312.5 tons. It had three stages. It is capable of delivering up to 200 kg of satellites to a geo-transfer orbit. The EOS-2 satellite weighs 3 kg. The EOS-2 satellite is by far India's heaviest Earth observation satellite. After going into geotransfer orbit, the satellite would have established itself in its fixed orbit following its propellant, but it could not reach that point.

ISRO launched its first satellite at 7.5 am. No Earth observation satellite has been launched at this time before. Launching in the morning had the benefit of clearing the weather but in the meantime a cryogenic engine malfunctioned along the way. Secondly it is easy to keep an eye on one's own satellite flying in space in sunlight.

According to reliable ISRO sources, so far Geo Orbit, i.e. 6,000 km from the Earth. No remote sensing i.e. Earth Observation Satellite was set up in the remote orbit. If this had happened, for the first time, EOS-2 could have observed India from such a distance. It can also be said that India was setting up CCTV in space for its own security. This satellite would have been taking pictures of India all day. The satellite was able to take pictures of the whole country every half hour.

Mission may be re-launched: Jitendra Singh

After ISRO's GSLV rocket failed to launch the Earth observation satellite EOS-3 into orbit on Thursday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the mission could be re-launched. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the PMO and in-charge of the space department, said he had met ISRO chairman K.S. Has discussed this mission with Sivan. The first two phases of the mission's launch were successful. Only the third stage had a defect in the cryogenic upper stage. This mission is likely to be re-launched by eliminating this shortcoming.