Rocket bearing Indian satellite explodes at launch

A ROCKET carrying an Indian communication satellite exploded just after liftoff on Saturday in the second launch failure for India’s space agency this year.

Television images showed the rocket exploding in smoke and fire just after it launched from the Sriharikota space centre in Andhra Pradesh state. It was carrying a GSAT-5P communication satellite into orbit.

The vehicle developed an error 47 seconds after liftoff and lost command, leading to a higher angle in the flight, said K Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.