Indian Satellite Lost in Launch Explosion

An anonymous reader writes "BBC News is reporting that the recent communications satellite launch in India has met with disaster. The satellite, designed to enhance India's telephone and communications network, was lost when the rocket carrying it veered off course and exploded. This is the second disappointment in recent launch attempts, coming just one day after the failed long-range ballistic missile test launch."

well

[MrSquirrel]

I guess it's a good thing NASA doesn't outsource.

Indian Astronauts

[Durrok]

Monday's flight was also supposed to set the stage for an Indian mission to the Moon.

Something tells me there may be a lack of volunteers for this now...

Dang!

[Morky]

Rockets is hard!

I think it was

[drpimp]

Homer Simpson who said it best .... "DOH!"

This just in

[geekoid]

Building rockets is as hard as rocket science.

In other news...

[Cherita Chen]

In other news, Pakistan is reporting that it will not seek retribution for the explosion which rocked their capital earlier this morning, as no casualties have been reported. Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Azis was quoted as saying, "Satellite my ass, you missed bitch"...

Re:disappointment?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did I get that right? An unattentive commenter mistakes an Indian satellite for a North Korean ICBM?
Doesn't anybody screen these postss?

Re:well

[voice_of_all_reason]

feeding the 400M people there that live on a dollar a day

Now now... if Vishnu wanted them to eat, she would have put them in a better castle.

Re:well

[tempestdata]

Its not like NASA hasn't blown up a few shuttles itself. This literally IS rocket science. Its very easy to goof up. Give the Indians a break. Would you want them posting on slashdot "NASA Should have outsourced" when NASA has its next exploding rocket/space shuttle?

It's ok by me

[Harmonious Botch]

It was a communications satellite, right? Anything that limits the possibility of my tech support calls getting routed to India is just fine by me.

Unfortunate Coincidence?

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

From the article, it appears the two rockets were different designs/models, and launched from different sites. So probably no correlation there... Still, I'll bet there are lots of engineering types losing sleep over there right now.

They have had 12 successful commercial launches in a row, a good record. But now they're 0 for 2 in their last to big launch attempts.

Note to self, stay out of the Bay of Bengal when they're launching. ;-)

In other news...

[lelitsch]

There was a small, secret "hey, our new invisible space-based laser has worked three times in a row now" party at Vandenberg AFB.

Re:Indian Astronauts

[HoneyBunchesOfGoats]

You should keep in mind that it will be a mission to the moon, not a mission to and from it.

Re:well

[Anonymous Coward]

I would suggest you find out the number of indians working for NASA. The joke would be on you my friend.

Well, when it comes to exploding rockets,

[ScrewMaster]

You're a better bomb than I, Gunga Din.

is this the rocket...

[Anonymous Coward]

Excuse me...I was looking for the new, long-awaited "Rocketboom" video, but it appears I am in the wrong thread.

Oh wait...........

Re:This just in

[Citizen of Earth]

Building rockets is as hard as rocket science.

Well, at least it's not brain surgery.

Airborne Laser

[p51d007]

I'm surprised the tinfoil hats haven't said it was the U.S. Military using the airborne laser weapon LOL. http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/ [boeing.com]

No Malfunctioning Star Wars Orbital Laser

[arthurpaliden]

Actually it is an old Star Wars Orbital Laser from the Regan years. Unfortunately it has been malfunctioning for years and the U.S. still cannot get control of it to turn off its automatic targeting and firing mode. It has already shot down two shuttles, several air liners and a few other missiles. Three in the last few days.

probable cause of the accident

[RelliK]

The engineers called tech support while assembling the rocket but couldn't quite understand the accent.