BANGALORE – An Indian space rocket carrying an advanced communications satellite was destroyed by mission control on Saturday following a malfunction after lift-off, officials said.
Live television pictures showed the rocket exploding in a plume of smoke and fire moments after taking off from the Sriharikota launch site, some 80 kilometres from the southern city of Chennai.
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) veered from its intended flight path and was intentionally blown up 47 seconds after lift off, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan told reporters.
