(Failed) GSAT 4 atop of GSLV-D3 - Indian launch

[orb]

India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) will launch the GSAT 4 experimental communications satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. Codenamed GSLV D3, the launch will be the first GSLV to use an indigenous third stage cryogenic engine.
Timer is here.

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You can watch the launch here:
http://timesnow.live.indiatimes.com/

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GSLV-D3 launched. First stage was successful.

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There were some problems in GSLV launch after second stage separation.

Cryogenic engine underperformed and GSLV deviated from the path. ISRO is not able to receive GSLV data.

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Launch failed.

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Official cause of failure: 2 vernier engines providing stability to cryo stage didn't fire. Cryogenic engines were firing.

 

[SiberianTiger]

:huh:

 

[dumbo2007]

Hmm yeah....a bit disappointing. But this is par for the course as cryogenics present a lot of new challenges. The cryogenic upper stage did fire but the verniers failed so control was lost. It will be corrected.

The only country to date known to have a successful first launch with a cryogenic engine is France.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Indian cryogenic rocket launch fails

BBC News: "India cryogenic satellite space launch fails".

Spaceflight Now: "Indian rocket tumbles back to Earth during test launch".

Oops! :embarrassed:

 

[Notebook]

BBC Coverage:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8623198.stm

 

[dumbo2007]

The vehicle starts losing altitude after the third stage ignition. Also velocity of the vehicle remains nearly constant at around 4.8-4.9 km/sec from the third stage ignition to when it starts falling back. It generally happens during coasting but the velocity picks up once the next stage engines are up and running.

So the possible reason could be that the on-board mission computer switched-off the engine following the loss of control as a result of the failure of vernier thrusters.

Loss of telemetry can be explained by the fact that when the stage re-entered the atmosphere it got burnt as it is designed to do so. Upper stages never self-destruct as the designers know that a failure will not pose any danger on-ground as the they burn-up reentering the atmosphere and they do so once the satellite is placed placed in orbit.

So possible causes could be :
1. Tumbling, loss of altitude - Following the failure of vernier thrusters the mission computer could have stopped the engines.
2. Loss of Telemetry - As the stage reentered the atmosphere it got burned up with the payload and on-board systems.

Well, the Chandrayaan 2 flight wont be affected and the PSLV launch in May involving an Algerian satellite, two nano satellites from the Norwegian defence establishment and Switzerland, and a Studsat built by students of colleges in Hyderabad and Bangalore, has been integrated.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/16/stories/2010041655071200.htm

 

[orb]

There was published a report about the cause of the failure today.

Spaceflight Now: India blames April rocket mishap on third stage pump.

ISRO press release: GSLV-D3 Failure Analysis Report.

• Ignition of the CUS Main Engine and two Steering Engines have been confirmed as normal, as observed from the vehicle acceleration and different parameters of CUS measured during the flight. Vehicle acceleration was comparable with that of earlier GSLV flights up to 2.2 seconds from start of CUS. However, the thrust build up did not progress as expected due to non-availability of liquid hydrogen (LH2) supply to the thrust chamber of the Main Engine.

• The above failure is attributed to the anomalous stopping of Fuel Booster Turbo Pump (FBTP). The start-up of FBTP was normal. It reached a maximum speed of 34,800 rpm and continued to function as predicted after the start of CUS. However, the speed of FBTP started dipping after 0.9 seconds and it stopped within the next 0.6 seconds.

• Two plausible scenarios have been identified for the failure of FBTP, namely, (a) gripping at one of the seal location and seizure of rotor and (b) rupture of turbine casing caused probably due to excessive pressure rise and thermal stresses. A series of confirmatory ground tests are planned.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

POST REMOVED BY AUTHOR. My bad.

 

[orb]

Hey, Pete. Look above. You were ninja'd.
Sometimes it's the best to "Preview Post" before submitting it, like I do. It prevented me a few times from posting the same thing as someone else posted a minute before me.

Space News: India Traces GSLV Crash to Turbo Pump Failure.