Sriharikota: The PSLV-C61 mission carrying Earth Observation Satellite EOS-09 could not be accomplished on Sunday morning due to a technical glitch in ignition and separation of the third stage of the 4-stage rocket.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan told reporters that the mission could not be accomplished after it encountered some anomaly in its third stage.
He said the rocket took off as scheduled at 0559 hrs and the ignition and separation of the first two stages were normal.
However, during ignition and separation of the third stage (with solid propellants) a technical glitch was witnessed.
"We are analysing it", he said, adding, the mission could not be accomplished.
“Today we targeted the 101st launch from Sriharikota, the PSLVC61 EOS-09 mission. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but during the functioning of the third stage we witnessed an anomaly and the mission could not be accomplished,” Mr. Narayanan said.
Today 101st launch was attempted, PSLV-C61 performance was normal till 2nd stage. Due to an observation in 3rd stage, the mission could not be accomplished, he added.
The EOS-09 satellite is seen as a game changer for surgical air strikes in the wake of prevailing tensions on the Pakistan and China borders and would provide high resolution border images using its onboard C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar which will capture pictures on all weather conditions, day and night.
After a 22-hr countdown, the workhorse and reliable launch vehicle of ISRO PSLV-C61 with strap-on motors lifted off majestically from the First Launch Pad lighting the dark skies at 0559 hrs, after initiating the launch sequence by the Mission Director 15 mts from take off, before th technical glitch in the third stage led to its failure.