Cryogenic
1
H,' rt;;¥u- I r ,4 ';;..0 10, . Why didn't thecryo'genicengine ignite? (~ , T.S. Subramaniam CHENNAI: The non-ignition of the cryogenic engine on """')ard the Geo-Synchronous ."atellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3)led to the failure of the mission on Thursday (April 15), the Indian Space Research Organisation (IS- RO) has more or less conclud- ed. "The cryogenic engine has not ignited, that is for sure. Why it has not ignited, the reasons have to befound out," said S. Satish, ISRO spokes- man, on Friday. All the telemetry data had come in by 1 p.m. on Friday arid the ISRO top-brass was studying them line by line. The GSLV-D3is a three-stage rocket and it was flying with an indigenous cryogenic en- ~ gine for the first time. I 'A cryogenic engine uses 1 liquidhydrogenat minus 253 degrees Celsius as fuel and ~;quid oxygen at minus 183 Q,-,egrees tis oxidiser.The vehi- ..cle lifted off as planned at 4.27 p.m. and its performance was normal up to the end of its second stage till 293 sec- onas from the lift-off. But the ~:..~bJckd~v~~~pM; probl~nJ,s wijen the ~ryogeriic upper ~tage should have ignited 304 seconds after the lift-off, and - itfell into the sea.' An authoritative former ISo RO official said: "It is very clear that the cryogenic en- gine did not ignite when you look at the curve [ofthe vehi- taken place in December 2009, they had said. S Besides, the indigenous - cryogenic engine was testedN on the ground cumulatively 1 for 7,767 seconds, while it 0 would' fire for only 720 sec- f onds in flight. . \' Post-flight, ISRO Chair- i! man K. Radhakrishnan said n the entire cryogenic stage, in- S cluding its engine, passed the a qualification test on Novem- ber 15,2007 when it fired for b 720 seconds. "In the last ir three years, we have been S working on the flight~en- S gine," he said. But he pointed C to one big difficulty - the ig- S nition ofthe cryogenic engine l( taking place in the vacuum of S space [which cannot be sim- cc ulated on the ground]. "The cryogenic engine has I K to be ignited only in the vacu- sl urn of the space. It cannot be tr simulated in vacuum on the g( ground because of the ex- "\ tremely low temperatures of the liquid hydrogen and liq- uid oxygen which, when put on fire, rise to about 3,000 that the GSLV-D3 was "the degrees Celsius," Mr. Satish most reviewed vehicle" be- explained. cause it was flying an indige- S. Ramakrishnan, Director nous cryogenic engine for the (Projects), Vikram Sarabhai first time. "*'Space .. Centre, Thiruvanan- A national panel consisting thapuram, also noted, "Igni- of former ISRO chairmen, tionin vacuum of the specialists in cryogenic tech- cryogeriic engine could be nology and academicians had done only in flight." reviewed the vehicle several times and signalled the go- ahead. But for these repeated reviews, the flight would have A PUZZLE: The GSL VD3, which lifted off wellfrom Sriharikota on Thursday, later plunged into the sea as the indigenous cryogenic engine failer! to ignite. - PHOTO: V. GANESAN cle's trajectory], everything Was normal up to. the GS2 [second stage] ~hutdown. :TA~P: you caJ;ls~~d~¥ly that there is no increment in the vehicle's velocity. The veloc- ity is the same. It started los- ing its altitude also." The ISRO r(jcket'i'mgineers are puzzled why the cryogen- ic engine did not fire at all. On April 9, they had repeatedly told reporters at Sriharikota v ~ a p - "JUJ' ,II nil See Editorial IIO! *'" -.. ,.
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Cryogenic engine burst
Transcript of Cryogenic
H,'rt;;¥u- I r ,4 ';;..0 10, .
Why didn't thecryo'genicengine ignite? (~,T.S. Subramaniam
CHENNAI:The non-ignition ofthe cryogenic engine on
"""')ard the Geo-Synchronous."atellite Launch Vehicle(GSLV-D3)led to the failureof the mission on Thursday(April 15), the Indian SpaceResearch Organisation (IS-RO)has more or less conclud-ed. "The cryogenic engine hasnot ignited, that is for sure.Why it has not ignited, thereasons have to befound out,"said S. Satish, ISRO spokes-man, on Friday.
All the telemetry data hadcome in by 1 p.m. on Fridayarid the ISRO top-brass wasstudying them line by line.The GSLV-D3is a three-stagerocket and it was flying withan indigenous cryogenic en-
~ gine for the first time.I 'A cryogenic engine uses1 liquidhydrogenat minus 253
degrees Celsius as fuel and~;quid oxygen at minus 183Q,-,egrees tis oxidiser.The vehi-..cle lifted off as planned at
4.27 p.m. and its performancewas normal up to the end ofits second stage till 293 sec-onas from the lift-off. But the
~:..~bJckd~v~~~pM; probl~nJ,swijen the ~ryogeriic upper~tage should have ignited 304seconds after the lift-off, and
- itfell into the sea.'An authoritative former ISo
RO official said: "It is veryclear that the cryogenic en-gine did not ignite when youlook at the curve [ofthe vehi-
taken place in December2009, they had said. S
Besides, the indigenous -cryogenic engine was testedNon the ground cumulatively 1for 7,767 seconds, while it 0would' fire for only 720 sec- fonds in flight. . \'\
Post-flight, ISRO Chair- i!man K. Radhakrishnan said nthe entire cryogenic stage, in- Scluding its engine, passed the aqualification test on Novem-ber 15,2007 when it fired for b720 seconds. "In the last irthree years, we have been Sworking on the flight~en- Sgine," he said. But he pointed CIto one big difficulty - the ig- Slnition ofthe cryogenic engine l(taking place in the vacuum of S(space [which cannot be sim- cculated on the ground].
"The cryogenic engine has I Kto be ignited only in the vacu- slurn of the space. It cannot be trsimulated in vacuum on the g(ground because of the ex- "\tremely low temperatures ofthe liquid hydrogen and liq-uid oxygen which, when puton fire, rise to about 3,000
that the GSLV-D3 was "the degrees Celsius," Mr. Satishmost reviewed vehicle" be- explained.cause it was flying an indige- S. Ramakrishnan, Directornous cryogenic engine for the (Projects), Vikram Sarabhaifirst time. "*'Space.. Centre, Thiruvanan-
A national panel consisting thapuram, also noted, "Igni-of former ISRO chairmen, tionin vacuum of thespecialists in cryogenic tech- cryogeriic engine could benology and academicians had done only in flight."reviewed the vehicle severaltimes and signalled the go-ahead. But for these repeatedreviews, the flight would have
A PUZZLE:The GSLVD3, which lifted off wellfromSriharikota on Thursday, later plunged into the seaas the indigenous cryogenic engine failer! to ignite.- PHOTO: V. GANESAN
cle's trajectory], everythingWas normal up to. the GS2[second stage] ~hutdown.:TA~P:you caJ;ls~~d~¥ly thatthere is no increment in thevehicle's velocity. The veloc-ity is the same. It started los-ing its altitude also."
The ISRO r(jcket'i'mgineersare puzzled why the cryogen-ic engine did not fire at all. OnApril 9, they had repeatedlytold reporters at Sriharikota
v~ap
- "JUJ' ,II nil
See EditorialIIO! *'" -.. , .
