12-26-2010 09:24 BJT
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A rocket carrying an Indian communications satellite exploded just moments after liftoff on Saturday.
The blast is the second launch failure for the country's space agency this year, but Indian scientists say they will not restructure the design of their Geo-Stationary Launch Vehicle.
K. Radhakrishnan Chairman, Indian Space Research Orgnization, said, "I do not find any reason to restructure GSLV vehicle, design, configuration. We do not find any problem."
The rocket exploded in smoke and fire, just after liftoff from the Sriharikota Space Center. It was carrying a GSAT-5P communications satellite into orbit. The vehicle developed an error 47 seconds after the launch, and lost control, leading to a higher flight angle.
In April, a similar rocket plunged into the Bay of Bengal, during a developmental mission. India is the fifth country -- after the US, Russia, China, and France -- to enter the commercial satellite launch market. The country is planning its first manned space flight in 2016.
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