Indian rocket fails to launch earth observation satellite

BENGALURU: An Indian rocket carrying a powerful earth observation satellite failed to fire fully on Thursday, the state-run space agency said, in a setback for the country's space programme.

The satellite, meant for quick monitoring of natural disasters such as cyclones, cloudbursts and thunderstorms, was launched on a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) at 0013 GMT, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in southern India. But while the liftoff was smooth, the rocket failed in its final phase, the Indian Space Research Organisation said.