Context: ISRO said that GSLV-F10 /EOS03 mission 'cannot be accomplished fully' due to a performance anomaly in the cryogenic stage.

Key Points

• The launch was supposed to place EOS-03, an earth observation satellite, into a geostationary orbit.
• The mission could not be accomplished as intended because the Cryogenic Upper Stage ignition did not happen due to technical anomaly.
• The cryogenic upper stage has an indigenously developed cryogenic engine fuelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at very low temperatures.
• The cryogenic stage is supposed to be much more efficient and provides greater thrust to propel heavier rockets like GSLV that are designed to carry bigger payloads into space.

About Geo-imaging satellite “EOS-03”

• It is a geo-imaging satellite for Earth Observation from Geostationary Orbit.
• The technology is developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and it consists of capabilities including:
• Imaging the whole country 4-5 times daily.
• In addition to natural disasters, EOS-03 would also enable monitoring of water bodies, crops, vegetation condition, forest cover changes etc.
• It would enable near-real time monitoring of natural disasters like floods & cyclones.

About GSLV Mark III

• It is capable of launching four-tonne satellites in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
• It is also capable of placing up to eight tonnes in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO), enough to carry a manned module.
• It is India’s first fully functional rocket to be tested with a cryogenic engine that uses liquid propellants i.e. liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
• The 640-tonne rocket, equal to the weight of 200 fully-grown Asian elephants, is the country’s heaviest but shortest rocket with a height of 43 metre.
• It is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C-25).