The Hindu : 6 killed in explosion at Sriharikota space centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2004

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6 killed in explosion at Sriharikota space centre

By T.S. Subramanian

One of those injured in an explosion that ripped through a building at Sriharikota being brought to a Chennai hospital on Monday. — Photo: R. Ragu

SRIHARIKOTA (ANDHRA PRADESH), FEB. 23. Six persons were reported killed and three were seriously injured today in a blast at a plant making solid propellants at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the Indian Space Research Organisation's space port.

The blast occurred at 3.50 p.m. at a huge facility called the Solid Propellant Booster Plant (SPROB) when the solid propellant, after curing, was being moved from one building to another for further tests. The propellant caught fire, resulting in the blast. The propellant, hydroxyl-terminated poly butadiene (HTPB), powers ISRO's launch vehicles, including the SLV-3, the ASLV, the PSLV and the GSLV.

Employees of the centre, who did not want to be named, said six persons, including three engineers (technicians) and two labourers, were killed in the fire and the resultant blast. An employee said: "After the solid propellant was cast and cured, and the rocket motor filled with it was being moved from one building to another, the accident happened." The blast completely damaged Building 117, an official of the centre said. According to him, the three who were injured were standing at the entrance to the building when the explosion took place. "They ran out but received severe burns," he added.

The ISRO Chairman, G. Madhavan Nair, told presspersons at the Chennai airport, on his way to Sriharikota, that between four and six persons had been killed. "I cannot give you any confirmation more than that. That is why I am rushing to SHAR to see for myself the exact situation."

S.K. Das, Additional Secretary, Department of Space, said: "We are taking action to approach the building, clear the debris and reach those inside. We do not know how many have been killed." The fire had "more or less been contained," he added.

Processing and handling the solid propellant are hazardous tasks carried out using remote-controlled mechanical arms. It is at the SPROB that the solid propellant grains, which also contain the oxidiser ammonium perchlorate, are made.

The chemicals are mixed into a uniform paste and filled into the rocket motor chambers under vacuum conditions. The curing process entails heat treatment of 60 degrees Celsius to 150 degrees Celsius.

The SPROB, one of the biggest plants of its kind in the world, was commissioned in March 1977. The complex is spread over 25 sq. km. on the spindle-shaped Sriharikota island, about 100 km. from Chennai. The island has a maximum width of eight km. The SPROB has several buildings, spaced wide apart as a safety precaution, for casting, curing and other processes involved in the manufacture of HTPB.

This solid propellant fuelled ISRO's sounding rockets, the Satellite Launch Vehicle -3 (SLV-3) and the ASLV. The PSLV and the GSLV also had stages fuelled by HTPB.

The SPROB is undergoing a massive expansion programme to cater to the needs of the under-development GSLV-Mark III that will have two boosters each powered by 200 tonnes of HTPB.

Our Chennai Bureau

reports:

The ISRO Chairman said he had "set up a very high power committee to probe the entire episode."

Asked if any of ISRO's immediate projects would be affected, Mr. Madhavan Nair said since only one of the test motors had been damaged, "I don't see any of our immediate projects getting affected."

"It is a very sad incident. One of the buildings in which rocket propellant was being prepared, caught fire inadvertently... the building has been damaged. Three of our senior scientists have sustained serious injuries... I can only say that some more are still trapped in the debris."

The injured were brought to the special burns unit of the Apollo Hospital, Chennai, at 7.30 p.m.

While Krishnaprasad and Sachin were in a serious condition, Narayanan had suffered only 20 per cent burns, said Dr. M. Baskaran of the emergency unit.

All their vital signs were stable and they were conscious, he added.

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