India Fails First Attempt to Launch Small Satellites into Space

The Indian Space Agency reported that the first flight of the small satellite launch vehicle "failed to place two satellites into the targeted orbit." The agency stated in a statement on Sunday that "all phases were executed as expected, but data loss was observed during the final phase." According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the spacecraft was launched on Saturday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on the southeastern coast of India. The statement explained that the satellites "are no longer usable," and a committee "will assess the situation and recommend further actions."