NEW DELHI, Oct. 21The first launch of a rocket as part of India's upcoming manned orbital mission was postponed at the last minute due to problems, the head of the Indian space agency, Sridhara Somnath, said in a live broadcast on the organization's website.
The rocket launch, previously scheduled for 8.00 (5.30 Moscow time), at the last moment was moved to 8.30 (06.00 Moscow time), and a little later — to 8.45 (06.15 Moscow time). During the launch, the lower stage engines started working, but after a few seconds they went out.
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“(The start. — Ed.) was postponed to 8:45 due to weather conditions. The engine did not start normally, we need to find out what went wrong… The on-board computer that performs the automatic start has suspended it due to a problem. We will return with an understanding of the problems, their nature and will plan the launch very soon,” Somnath clarified.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2018 approved the mission to send a national crew into orbit. It was named «Gaganyan». According to the program, before the first manned flight, two must take place without an astronaut on board.
As part of the first such flight, the crew module must separate from the rocket at an altitude of 17 kilometers and descend into the water. Once it lands, Indian Navy personnel from the Bay of Bengal will pick it up.
The timing of the first manned mission depends on the success of the test flights, with the country's space agency noting that the mission is on track to launch in 2025.