The planned launch of a new communications satellite has ended in a shower of debris for India, as the rocket carrying it went into a tailspin just moments after launch.

The telecoms satellite, which at more than 2,000kg was set to be the heaviest India had ever put into orbit, had a textbook start. The launch went well until the first stage of separation, Indian space officials said, at which point the rocket veered off course and exploded.

The precise cause of the malfunction is still unclear, and Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is reported as saying: "We will analyse the data to see the sequence of events."

Officials denied the loss was a setback, describing it instead as a "disappointment", and maintaining that the launch rocket was well proven, following three successful launches.

The "disappointment" in fact follows 12 successful launches. But it also comes just days after a test fire of the Agni-III, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile, ended in failure. The surface-to-surface missile has a maximum range of around 3,000km, which means if the teething problems are resolved, it puts targets in China well within range.

As well as being a demonstration of its commercial capabilities, the launch was supposed to be a proving ground for India's lunar ambitions. The ISRO is working with NASA to get ready for an unmanned visit to the moon in 2008. ®

Related stories

• Indian Moon mission is go for 22 October (7 October 2008)
• India cheers satellite launch (3 September 2007)
• India tests intermediate-range missile (12 April 2007)
• Falcon 1 finally claws way into space (21 March 2007)
• Comms sat launch goes off with a bang (31 January 2007)
• India stamps claim on space with satellite launch (11 January 2007)
• Indian boffins discuss manned space mission (7 November 2006)
• Indian data theft 'exposed' (5 October 2006)
• Multinationals test small town Indians (1 September 2006)
• Boffins sketch solution to bulging moon problem (9 August 2006)
• Russian rocket destroys 18 satellites (27 July 2006)
• NASA: checking out the sun in Stereo (17 July 2006)
• NASA's next-gen launch vehicles dubbed 'Ares' (3 July 2006)
• SEK2006 Rain, missiles and high def TVs (21 June 2006)
• China moves to enslave Mother Nature (5 May 2006)
• Venus Express clears biggest hurdle (11 April 2006)