INSAT-4C was an Indian communications satellite which was lost in a launch failure in 2006. Had it reached orbit, it would have formed part of the Indian National Satellite System. Launched in 2007, it was intended to have operated in

geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...

at a longitude of 73.97° east. The INSAT-4CR satellite, launched in September 2007, replaced it. Built by the

Indian Space Research Organisation The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...

, INSAT-4C was based upon the

I-2K I-2K is a satellite bus developed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and marketed by Antrix Corporation. It is a standard bus for 2,000 kg class satellites; the 'I' in I-2K stands for INSAT, a group of communication satellites develo ...

satellite bus. It had a dry mass of , or when fully fuelled. It was expected to have operated for ten years. The satellite carried twelve

Ku band The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally german: Kurz-unten), because it is the lower part of the ori ...

transponders, with two solar arrays to generate power. ISRO launched INSAT-4C on the second operational flight of the

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). GSLV was used in fourteen launches from 2001 to 2021. Even though GSLV Mark III shares the name, it is an ...

, which was flying in the Mk.I configuration. The launch took place from the

Second Launch Pad Satish Dhawan Space Centre - SDSC (formerly Sriharikota Range - SHAR) is a rocket launch centre ( spaceport) operated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Sriharikota, Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Sriharikot ...

at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre; the first time the pad was used by a GSLV. Liftoff occurred at 12:08 UTC on 10 July 2006. Early in the flight a

thrust controller Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that sys ...

in one of the four liquid rocket boosters failed, resulting in the booster cutting off shortly afterwards. Approximately 55 seconds after launch the vehicle veered off-course and began to disintegrate. The range safety officer subsequently commanded the remainder of the rocket to self-destruct.

References

{{Orbital launches in 2006 Spacecraft launched in 2006 INSAT satellites Satellite launch failures 2006 in India Spacecraft launched by GSLV rockets