SRIHARIKOTA — India’s space agency on Sunday failed to place an Earth observation satellite into orbit after a malfunction during the final stage of the rocket’s flight, officials said.
The launch, conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation, proceeded normally through its first two stages before encountering a critical issue in the third. V. Narayanan, director of the agency, said the mission suffered a “fall in the chamber pressure of the motor case,” causing the vehicle to deviate from its intended trajectory.
“The performance of the first and second stages was as expected,” Narayanan said in a brief statement. “We will analyze the data and share further details after a full review.”
The rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, a coastal launch facility in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
The failed mission marks a setback for India’s increasingly ambitious space program, which has sought to expand its presence in Earth observation, planetary exploration and commercial satellite launches.
