ISRO's 'Eye in the Sky' satellite fails to reach orbit due to 'performance anomaly'

As India progress in the satellite-based research study, on Thursday, August 12, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Earth Observation Satellite. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV-F10) launched Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-03 from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. 

EOS-03 mission status

But in the recent update, the space agency informed that the GSLV rocket faced a setback as the mission could not be accomplished fully due to a performance anomaly in the cryogenic stage of the rocket. 

ISRO Chairman K Sivan stated, "(The mission) could not be fully accomplished mainly because there is a technical anomaly observed in the cryogenic stage. This I wanted to tell all my friends."

Though the 51.70-metre tall rocket GSLV-F10/EOS-03 successfully lifted as per the schedule, a few minutes later the scientists were seen in discussion and it was announced in the Mission Control Centre by the Range Operations Director "mission could not be accomplished fully due to performance anomaly. 

Scientists at the Mission Control Centre explained, "Ahead of the lift-off, the Launch Authorisation Board cleared the decks for a normal lift-off as planned. The performance of the rocket in the first and second stages of the rocket was normal". 

The range operations director announced, "Performance anomaly observed in the cryogenic stage. The mission could not be accomplished fully". 

According to the space agency,todays' mission was aimed to provide near real-time imaging of large area regions at frequent intervals, for quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, water bodies as well as for disaster warning, cyclone monitoring, cloud burst and thunderstorm monitoring.

Since March 2020, ISRO has conducted two launches, one is the earth observation satellite EOS-01 last November, and the other in February this year when 18 small satellites, mainly of other countries, were sent into space.

GSLV launches 

GSLV is an important launch system of ISRO that has been used in thirteen launches from 2001 to 2018. In 1990, the first GSLV project was launched with an aim of acquiring the capability of the Indian launch for geosynchronous satellites.

ISRO had informed that for the first time in this GSLV flight, a 4 meter diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing is being flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the fourteenth flight of GSLV.

EOS-03

According to ISRO's statement, EOS-03 is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite that will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLV-F10. Subsequently, the satellite will reach the final geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system.

Some of the Earth Observer satellites launched by ISRO so far include RESOURCESAT- 2, 2A, CARTOSAT-1, 2, 2A, 2B, RISAT-1 and 2, OCEANSAT-2, Megha-Tropiques, SARAL and SCATSAT-1, and INSAT-3DR, 3D.

Some of the unique features of the EOS-03 satellite developed by the ISRO include imaging India 4-5 times daily the Geo Imaging Satellite-1 (GISAT-1) will keep an eye out on "locations of interest" for the country. 

EOS-03 will just not monitor natural disasters but also water bodies, vegetation conditions, forest cover changes, vegetation conditions, and more. The satellite will appear motionless in space as will be orbit around the Earth at the rate of rotation of the planet.

(Image credit: @ISRO/TWITTER)