What ISRO Chief Said Minutes After Gaganyaan Test Launch Was Put “On Hold”

New Delhi:

Indian space agency ISRO today put its first test flight for its human spaceflight mission ‘Gaganyaan’ “on hold” 5 seconds from its scheduled launch time at 8:45 am IST.

“The test vehicle lift-off for the Gaganyaan mission could not happen,” ISRO chief S Somanath said minutes after the on-ground computer aborted the lift-off of the rocket.

Today’s test flight was meant to carry various crew safety related payloads and conduct its necessary mission objectives as part of the first test in a series of tests scheduled by ISRO before the main mission taking Indian astronauts to space likely by the end of 2024.

The countdown began as intended and all went as expected till T-6 seconds when the rocket ignition kick-started six seconds before its intended lift-off schedule. Looking at this anomaly, the on-ground computer immediately overrode the lift-off at T-5 seconds and put the mission “on hold”.

“The engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course,” ISRO chief S Somnath said in his statement following the incident, adding that “We have to find out what went wrong, will come back soon.”

“There was a very smooth air lift and automatic launch sequence leading up to the command to lift off, but the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course due to anomaly,” Mr Somanath said.

Mr Somnath mentioned that the “vehicle is completely safe”. He also said that ISRO will “come back soon after analysing what triggered the Automatic Launch Sequence (ALS) holding the vehicle.”

“We will have to reach the vehicle and then look at what has happened now,” Mr Somnath explained, adding that this process “takes some time”. However, ISRO shared an update soon after saying that the launch will happen at 10 am IST.

Earlier today, the test flight, which was originally scheduled for 0800 hrs (8 am IST) was rescheduled to 8:30 am and then again to 8:45 am IST “due to local weather conditions”.