ISRO launch Chandrayaan-2 called off after technical snag in rocket
A technical snag detected in the GSLV-MkIII rocket, less than an hour ahead of the scheduled launch aborted the planned flight of Chandrayaan-2, India’s first attempt at landing a spacecraft on the moon.
“Revised launch date would be announced later,” ISRO said in a statement without giving any details of the problem that had been detected.
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It was not clear how soon that new launch date could be. ISRO officials indicated that it could take up to a few days to assess the seriousness of the problem. That could rule out another attempt at the launch in the current window of opportunity which is available only till July 16th . The next launch date could be months later.
The countdown to the launch was stopped at 56 minutes ahead of the scheduled time after scientists detected a problem in the rocket. ISRO did not specify it but there were indications that the problem was detected in the upper stage of the rocket having the cryogenic engine where liquid hydrogen fuel had been filled less than half an hour earlier.
GSLV-MkIII is the most powerful rocket built by ISRO and is designed to carry heavier payloads, weighing up to 4000 kg, into the geosynchronous transfer orbit, at least 35,000 km from the earth. It is supposed to be the rocket for the future. It has made only two successful flights till now, the first one that of GSLV Mk-III D1 in June 2017 that carried the GSAT-19, a communication satellite weighing more than 3000 kg, and then in November last year, when the GSLV Mk-III D2 launched the 3423-kg GSAT-29 communication satellite.
The proposed human mission to space, to be launched by 2022, is also planned to be carried on GSLV Mk-III rocket.
Reason for Call off Chandrayaan – II
The countdown to the launch stopped at 56 minutes ahead of the scheduled time after scientists detected a problem in the rocket.
ISRO did not specify it but there were indications that the problem was detected in the upper stage of the rocket having the cryogenic engine where liquid hydrogen fuel had been filled less than half an hour earlier.
About Chandrayaan – I
Chandrayaan-1 and Mangalyaan, India’s first mission to Mars, launched in 2013, PSLV has a capacity to deliver payloads only up to 1500 kg in the sub-GTO orbits.
PSLV has 48 successful launches
It is not suitable for launching heavier payloads, like Chandrayaan-2 which weighed close to 4,000 kg.
The mission initially slated to be launched last year but was postponed at least twice due to unavailability of a suitable window of opportunity to land on the moon.
About GSLV MK – III
GSLV-MkIII is the most powerful rocket built by ISRO
It is designed to carry heavier payloads, weighing up to 4000 kg, into the geosynchronous transfer orbit,
At least 35,000 km from the earth.
It is supposed to be the rocket for the future.
Two successful flights of GSLV Mk-III D1 in June 2017 that carried the GSAT-19, a communication satellite weighing more than 3000 kg.
GSLV Mk-III D2 launched the 3423-kg GSAT-29 communication satellite.
The proposed human mission to space, to be launched by 2022,
It is also planned to be carried on GSLV Mk-III rocket.