Science, Technology And Defence.

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<b>Space setback: INSAT 4C follows Agni III into sea</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->After the failure of Agni III missile, India's space programme received a major setback on Monday when the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F02) carrying the INSAT 4C communication satellite veered from its projected path and came crashing down.

ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair, admitting the failure of the mission, said, "things have gone wrong in the stage of separation (of the booster from the launch vehicle). We have to analyse the data why it went wrong".

The launch vehicle, carrying the 2168kg satellite to boost to Direct-to-Home television service and digital news gathering, deviated from its chartered path soon after the lift-off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 1738 hours and disintegrated into a ball of fire.

Soon after the failure of the mission, ISRO officials put the entire system on "emergency condition".

The jubilation among the scientists at the control station of the Space Centre immediately after the launch soon turned into despair as the launch vehicle hurtled down into the Bay of Bengal.

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What is going on? Two failures in three days ?????????