Article Posted on : - Aug 19, 2013

The GSLV-D5 at the launch pad. An ISRO photo

BANGALORE (BNS): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday put off the crucial GSLV-D5 lunch following a leakage observed in the rocket's second stage.

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D-5, with an indigenous cryogenic upper stage, was scheduled to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh at 1650 hours on Monday.

The rocket was to orbit the advanced communications satellite GSAT-14.

The launch was called off just two hours before the scheduled lift-off as a leak was observed in the UH25 fuel system of the liquid second stage during the pre-launch pressurisation phase on the vehicle, ISRO said in a statement.

The propellants were being drained from the Cryogenic Stage, Liquid Second Stage and the four liquid Strap-ons of GSLV-D5, it said.

The vehicle will be moved back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for further actions, the space agency said, adding that a revised launch date would be announced after a detailed assessment.

Monday's launch was crucial for ISRO as this was the second attempt by the space agency to flight test the indigenous cryogenic stage after the failure of a previous GSLV mission on April 15, 2010.

Another GSLV flight with a Russian cryogenic stage had also failed in December 2010.

The GSLV is a three-stage rocket. The first stage is fired with solid fuel, the second is the liquid fuel and the third stage is the cryogenic engine.

The rocket is designed to place large telecommunication satellites in geostationary orbits at over 36,000 km above the Earth.