The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has constituted a multidisciplinary expert committee to study the technical glitch in the GSLV-MK III rocket that was to carry India’s moon mission spacecraft Chandrayaan-2.
“A committee with experts from multi-disciplines has been constituted. The committee will soon submit its report,” the official said.
The ISRO officials to heaved a sigh of relief that the technical glitch was detected ahead of the rocket’s launch by saving the Rs 978 crore worth rocket and the spacecraft Chandrayaan-2.
To date, India has flown 16 GSLV rockets (MK I, II and III) and the total number of successful and failed missions are 12 and four respectively.
Last minute mission postponement has taken place in the past involving GSLV rockets.
For instance, the GSLV-D5 that successfully launched GSAT-14 in January 2014 gave tension to ISRO officials.
Originally it was scheduled for launch on August 19, 2013. Just hours before the blast off, fuel started leaking from its second stage or engine.
An ISRO official then had said that the second stage was replaced with a new one built with a different metal. He then added that some critical components in the four strap-on motors of the first stage were also replaced as a matter of precaution.
Similarly, the 2007 flight of GSLV rocket gave anxious moments to ISRO officials. Fifteen seconds before the lift-off, the rocket’s computers put GSLV on hold detecting anomalies in the cryogenic fuel stage.
The launch was postponed by two hours to set right the problem even as ISRO officials were considering rescheduling the launch by another two days.