: Disappointment was writ large on the faces of ISRO scientists following the 11th hour calling off of the GSLV-D5 launch due to fuel leak.
Hundreds of scientists gathered at the Satish Dhawan space centre were on their toes to witness the crucial launch of GSLV-D5 with homegrown cryogenic engine, which was to have placed GSAT-14 satellite into orbit.
As the 29 hour countdown that began yesterday progressed, scientists and top ISRO officials were eagerly awaiting the launch, but were in for a shock when authorities at the launch pad put the countdown process on hold and later called off.
"We are calling off the launch of GSLV D-5 due to fuel leakage. So there will be no launch today," ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan announced at a press conference.
"The vehicle will be moved to the assembly building. We will assess the data and find out the cause for the fuel leakage," he said.
The previous flight test failure of the indigenous cryogenic stage in GSLV-D3 mission was on April 15, 2010.
In December 2010, the GLSV flight with a Russian cryogenic stage also ended in failure.
Four of GSAT-14s predecessors were launched successfully by GSLV in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007.
