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DailyTech - Indian Satellite Launch Unsuccessful
India is the latest nation that wishes to join the space club
The ambitious Indian space program was dealt a heavy blow after the rocket carrying India's heaviest satellite, INSAT 4C, veered off course after launch. The rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV FO2), is one of the first Indian designed and manufactured rockets to be used in a commercial launch. Project managers forced the rocket to self-destruct so that the debris would fall harmlessly into the ocean. "Every failure is a setback. Space technology development is always fraught with failures. It is the magnitude of such failure that needs to be looked into," said Vasant Gowariker, a professor at the Indian Space Research Organization. The rocket went into a severe tailspin about a minute after what was at first thought to be a successful takeoff.
The satellite was expected to broadcast television signals and transmit data with a mission life of up to 10 years. The nation must continue to rely on European and Russian rockets until it is able to send its own satellites into space. India has previously launched several satellites into orbit, but the INSAT 4C, weighing in at 2,168 kilograms, was the countries heaviest attempt.
Even with the latest setback, the Indian space agency has big plans for the future. Along with almost $550M USD dedicated solely to upgrading the space agency's equipment so that it is able to launch heavier satellites, the agency is also getting ready for an unmanned mission to the moon within two years .