NEWS

ISRO said GSLV-F10/EOS-03 mission has failed

DETAILS

ABOUT GSLV-F10 EOS-03 MISSION

• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV-F10) launched Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-03) in 2021 from second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.
• State-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite
• Capable of imaging the entire country four to five times every day
• Reach to the geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system, from where the satellite’s onboard propulsion system will guide it to a geostationary orbit, 36,000 km from earth’s surface
• EOS-03, part of the new generation of earth-observation satellites, was meant to provide almost real-time images of large parts of the country
• The images could be used for monitoring natural disasters like floods and cyclones, water bodies, crops, vegetation and forest cover
• EOS-03 was being sent ahead of EOS-02 which has been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic
• Satellite will also carry a 4-metre diameter Ogive-shaped payload for the first time in this GSLV flight.
• This was the fourteenth flight of GSLV

WHY DID THE SATELLITE FAIL

• Although the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) had a normal lift-off after a 26-hour countdown, the mission had to be aborted much to the dismay of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• The FAC has concluded that a leak in a Vent and Relief Valve (VRV), probably triggered by damage in the soft seal, resulted in lower pressure in the LH2 (Liquid Hydrogen, the propellant) tank when the CUS engine ignited.
• This caused the Fuel Booster Turbo Pump (FBTP) to malfunction, ultimately leading to the failure of the mission.
• Recommendations include the incorporation of an active LH2 tank pressurisation system for guaranteeing sufficient pressure in the tank before the engine burns. Other recommendations include strengthening the VRV and associated fluid circuits to avoid leakage