India’s geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) missed putting the EOS-3 into orbit due to a technical anomaly in the cryogenic upper stage. The satellite’s trajectory lifted off from the Sriharikota spaceport at 5:43 AM was seen going away from the set path in the first 5 minutes into the launch, just after the announcement of the division of the payload fairings and firing of the third cryogenic stage of the rocket.

“Due to a technical anomaly witnessed in the cryogenic stage, Isro’s GSLV-F10/EOS-03 mission could not be fully finished,” K Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), stated. This is the fourth failure of the GSLV rocket in its 14 launches since 2001 of a powerful rocket that can throw satellites into geostationary orbit.

According to Spaceflight Now, this is the first launch failure for ISRO since 2017 after they achieved 14 continuous successful launches. The launch of the GSLV-F10 was ISRO’s second mission of the year and would have revived ISRO’s space programmes after significant delays happened due to the second wave of the Covid-19 in the country.