GSLV-F02 goes down after lift-off

In a setback to the country's space programme, the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F02) failed immediately after lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, falling into the sea with the 2168-kg INSAT-4C, which was designed to provide direct-to-home (DTH) television services.

Though the GSLV-F02 had a normal lift-off at 5.38 pm, it was found deviating from its orbit, and parts of the vehicle broke up in about 60 seconds.

The failure means plans of several DTH broadcasting players have hit a roadblock.

Though the blow to the DTH industry could not be estimated, the broadcasting industry believes it could delay the launch of Tata Sky and Sun TV's DTH platforms.

Similarly, for existing broadcasters and DTH service providers planning to launch new channels and services, this could spell bad news.