India: Missiles carrying satellites explode

India's Doordarshan TV reported on December 25 that a rocket carrying the country's satellite communications exploded and caught fire only minutes after leaving the launch pad at the Sriharikota space center in South India.

Citing sources from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the Indian News Agency (UNI) said the cause of the explosion was due to technical problems. However, ISRO has not made an official comment on the case.

Earlier, on December 20, India was forced to delay the launch of the GSLV-F06 missile to carry the GSAT-5P telecommunications satellite on December 25, after engineers discovered a leak in engine. This is the second time this year India has encountered a problem in satellite launch. Earlier, in April, GSLV missiles were dropped into the Bay of Bengal.

GSAT-5P is a satellite consisting of 36 signaling and receiving systems, which can serve radio and television programs, health care and distance education programs. The satellite is expected to replace the INSAT-2E satellite that has been operating since 1999.

Video: Missiles carrying Indian satellites explode