Gaganyaan mission: Test Vehicle fails to liftoff following anomaly, says ISRO
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): The liftoff of a test vehicle with crew safety related payloads connected to the ambitious Gaganyaan human space flight mission on Saturday could not happen as planned following an anomaly which will be analysed, ISRO chief S Somanath said.
Engine ignition of the TV-D1 rocket did not happen in the course of time.
After suffering delays twice, totaling 45 minutes, the rocket failed to liftoff from the spaceport here at 8.45 am, even as a "hold" signal flashed across the screens at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre while the final countdown was on.
There was a very smooth air lift and automatic launch sequence leading up to the command to lift off, "but the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course due to anomaly," Somanath said soon after the mission was put on hold.
"And we have to find out what went wrong with that. The vehicle is safe, the entire vehicle is very safe. We will have to reach the vehicle and then look at what has happened now," he said, adding ISRO will come back soon after analysing what triggered the automatic launch sequence holding the vehicle.
"So what has happened is that the ground support computer doing this function has withheld the launch in view of the anomaly observed. We will come back after understanding the anomaly, correct it and schedule the launch very soon," the space agency's Chairman said from the Mission Control Center.
The revised launch schedule will be announced later after analysing what went wrong today, he added.
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
