Gaganyaan Mission: The launch of the first unmanned human spaceflight for Gaganyaan mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was put on hold as TV-D1 engine lift-off was not completed, the space agency informed.
The mission was put on hold just 5 seconds before the launch.
Speaking about the delay in the launch, ISRO chief said, "The lift-off attempt of TV-D1 could not happen today. Initially the launch was scheduled at 8 am, but there was postponement of the lift-off time due to weather situation. We had a smooth ALS (Automatic Launch Sequence), leading up to the command to lift-off the engine, but the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course. We have to find out what went wrong with that. We will come back soon after analysing what has triggered the Automatic Launch Sequence, holding the vehicle."
After suffering delays twice, totaling 45 minutes, the rocket failed to lift-off from the spaceport at 8.45 am, even as a "hold" signal flashed across the screens at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre while the final countdown was on.
"There was a very smooth airlift and automatic launch sequence leading up to the command to lift off, "but the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course due to anomaly," Somanath said soon after the mission was put on hold.
"And we have to find out what went wrong with that. The vehicle is safe, the entire vehicle is very safe. We will have to reach the vehicle and then look at what has happened now," he said, adding ISRO will come back soon after analysing what triggered the automatic launch sequence holding the vehicle.
"So what has happened is that the ground support computer doing this function has withheld the launch in view of the anomaly observed. We will come back after understanding the anomaly, correct it and schedule the launch very soon," the space agency's Chairman said from the Mission Control Center.
The revised launch schedule will be announced later after analysing what went wrong today, he added.
With inputs from PTI
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