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Space Strategist PK Ghosh said that the unfortunate failure encountered by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the launch of its 101st satellite, EOS-09, aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61), should be used as a learning process.
Speaking with ANI, Ghosh said, "It is slightly unfortunate, but I do not like to use the term 'failure'. Every launch is a learning process. We assume that there was some problem in the third stage. This is our 101st launch; we had remarkable success...I am sure we will learn from this and go forward in our next launch" Earlier in the day, ISRO Chief V Narayanan confirmed that the launch could not be accomplished, and scientists are further studying the entire performance. Addressing a press conference, V Narayanan said the first two stages after the launch performed as expected, and the problem was detected at the third stage. "Today we attempted a launch of the PSLV-C61 vehicle. The vehicle is a 4-stage vehicle. The first two stages performed as expected. During the 3rd stage, we are seeing observation. The mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the entire performance; we shall come back at the earliest," Narayanan said. The flight sequence of the PSLV-C-61 consists of various stages, starting from the ignition of PS1 and PSOM at the ground to the separation of various sections, to finally the separation of the satellite from the rocket. According to the ISRO chief, the problem was detected at the third stage, which is a solid rocket motor which provides the upper stage with a high thrust after the atmospheric phase of the launch. This stage has a maximum thrust of 240 Kilonewtons. This was ISRO's 101st launch, in which they launched the Earth Orbiting Satellite, also known as EOS-09, which was supposed to be put in a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO). The plan was for the EOS-09 satellite to be deployed as Orbit Change Thrusters (OCT) will be used to lower the altitude of the PS4 stage. This will be followed by passivation, a measure aimed at reducing the stage's orbital life and ensuring responsible space operations. EOS-09 is designed to deliver continuous and reliable remote sensing data for use in various operational sectors. EOS-09 is an advanced Earth observation satellite equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar technology. It can capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface under all weather conditions, day or night. This capability enhances India's surveillance and management systems across multiple sectors. (ANI)
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