A rocket carrying an exploded just after liftoff Saturday in the second launch failure for India's space agency this year.

Television images showed the rocket exploding in smoke and fire just after it launched from the Sriharikota space center in Andhra Pradesh state. It was carrying a GSAT-5P communication satellite into orbit.

The vehicle developed an error 47 seconds after liftoff and lost command, leading to a higher angle in the flight, said K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization.

"That caused a higher stress, breaking up the vehicle," Radhakrishnan told reporters.

In April, a similar rocket on a developmental flight plunged into the Bay of Bengal. The ISRO said its rotor seized and turbine casing ruptured, probably due to excessive pressure and thermal stresses.