Posted: Thu, Sep 7, 2006, 8:17 AM ET (1217 GMT)
An Indian rocket that crashed shortly after liftoff in July has been traced to a faulty regulator in one of four strap-on boosters, Indian officials said Wednesday. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the east coast of India on July 10, but deviated from its trajectory 55 seconds after liftoff, breaking up several seconds later. Investigators said that a regulator in one of four liquid-propellant strap-on boosters malfunctioned, causing an increase in chamber pressure in the engine and its failure just 0.2 seconds after liftoff. The rocket was still able to fly normally, although with less control capability, until it reached transonic velocities, at which point the rocket could not compensate for increased aerodynamic loads. The manufacturer of the faulty regulator has been identified but will not be "blacklisted" by the Indian space agency ISRO, which did not indicate when the GSLV would return to service.

Related Links:

•  The Hindu article
•  The Hindu article about manufacturer
•  Hindustan Times article
•  Reuters article
•  ISRO press release