Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
India

Watch: India's Heaviest Rocket GSLV Mark-III Successfully Puts GSAT-19 Satellite Into Orbit

IANS, 05 Jun, 2017 09:24 AM
  • Watch: India's Heaviest Rocket GSLV Mark-III Successfully Puts GSAT-19 Satellite Into Orbit

India on Monday evening scripted history as it successfully launched its heaviest rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV Mk-III) carrying communication satellite GSAT-19.

 

The GSLV Mk-III rocket, on its first developmental flight, slung the 3,136 kg communication satellite in a geosynchronous transfer orbit from where it would be taken up to its final geostationary orbit.

 

Precisely at 5.28 pm, the GSLV Mk-III rocket, on its maiden flight, began its ascent towards space from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at the Sriharikota spaceport here.

 

Just over 16 minutes into its flight, the 43.43 metre tall, 640 ton rocket, slung the GSAT-19 at its intended orbit at an altitude of 179 km.

 

 

“It is a historic day… both the GSLV Mk-III and the GSAT-19 launch have been successful… we are looking forward to its (GSAT-19) operations,” Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said.

 

The GSAT-19, as per the Indian Space Research Organisation is a multi-beam satellite that carries Ka and Ku band forward and return link transponders and geostationary radiation spectrometer (GRASP) to monitor and study the nature of charged particles and the influence of space radiation on satellites and their electronic components.

 
 

The satellite, which has a life span of 10 years, also features certain advanced spacecraft technologies including miniaturised heat pipe, a fibre optic gyro, micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer, Ku-band TTC transponder, as well an indigenous lithium-ion battery.

 

The GSLV Mk-III is a three stage/engine rocket. The core of first stage is fired with solid fuel and its two motors by liquid fuel. The second is liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine.

 

“The rocket’s design carrying capacity is four tonnes. The payload will be gradually increased in future flights,” Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director K. Sivan had told IANS.

 
 

The Indian space agency had flown a similar rocket without the cryogenic engine but with 3.7-tonne payload in 2014 mainly to test its structural stability and aerodynamics.

 

Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre Director S. Somanath, told IANS that the inputs of the 2014 mission enabled the ISRO to reduce the rocket load by around 20 per cent.

 

Interestingly, GSLV-Mk III at around 43 metres is slightly shorter than Mk-II version that is around 49 metres tall.

 

ISRO officials told IANS that due to the increase in the diameters of various stages, the height got reduced despite a drastic increase in the weight - from around 415 ton of GSLV-Mk II to 640 ton in GSLV-Mk III.

 

“The new rocket may be slightly short but has more punch power,” said an ISRO official.

 

PM HAILS ISRO SCIENTISTS

 

Hailing the successful launch of the heaviest rocket, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it takes the country closer to the next generation of satellite capability.

 

“Congratulations to the dedicated scientists of ISRO for the successful launch of GSLV – MKIII D1/GSAT-19 mission,” the prime minister tweeted soon after.

 
 

“The GSLV – MKIII D1/GSAT-19 mission takes India closer to the next generation launch vehicle and satellite capability. The nation is proud,” he added in another tweet.

 

Modi spoke to the Secretary, Department of Space and congratulated him and his team on the successful launch, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

 

India presently has two rockets—the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and GSLV-Mk II—with a lift-off mass of 415 tonnes and a carrying capacity of 2.5 tonnes.

 
 

India puts foreign satellites into orbit for a fee using its lighter rocket PSLV. However the weight of third party satellites is not much.

 

Revenue for launching satellites depends on the satellite’s weight - higher the weight, higher the revenue.

 

The GSLV Mk-III, when its graduates from its development flight status to operational status, may look at flying heavier foreign satellites.

 

The Indian space agency officials said the new rocket would save the country foreign exchange as it can launch the country’s communication satellites instead of going to a foreign space agency for launch services.

 

The GSAT-18 satellite launched in 2016 using Arianespace’s rocket weighed 3,404 kg which is well within the GSLV Mk-III’s capacity.

 

However, India may not become a serious player in the global communication satellite launch market.

 

Industry sources said globally the trend is the weight of communication satellites is going up while the weight of earth observation satellites has come down.

 

A major portion of communication satellites that are sent up now weigh around six tons and above.

MORE India ARTICLES

UP Highway Horror: Preliminary Medical Report Rules Out Gang Rape Of Four Women

UP Highway Horror: Preliminary Medical Report Rules Out Gang Rape Of Four Women
Gautam Budh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Luv Kumar on Friday said that no proof of rape has been found in the medical reports of the Jewar-Bulandshahr highway gang-rape victims.

UP Highway Horror: Preliminary Medical Report Rules Out Gang Rape Of Four Women

Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor Files Defamation Case Against Republic TV's Arnab Goswami

Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor Files Defamation Case Against Republic TV's Arnab Goswami
 The Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram has also sought a direction from the high court to restrain the TV channel from broadcasting any show relating to the death of his wife till the investigation is completed by the Delhi Police.

Congress Leader Shashi Tharoor Files Defamation Case Against Republic TV's Arnab Goswami

Arvind Kejriwal To Visit Punjab On May 29

Arvind Kejriwal To Visit Punjab On May 29
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal is set to visit Punjab on May 29 to meet party leaders and volunteers, over two months after the party received a drubbing in the Punjab Assembly polls.

Arvind Kejriwal To Visit Punjab On May 29

Woman Caught Selling Child For Rs. 1 Lakh In Maharashtra's Palghar

Woman Caught Selling Child For Rs. 1 Lakh In Maharashtra's Palghar
The police sent a decoy customer to buy the three-year-old child from the accused, who was then caught while accepting the money.

Woman Caught Selling Child For Rs. 1 Lakh In Maharashtra's Palghar

2 Sisters, Along With Their Young Children, Commit Suicide By Jumping Before Train

2 Sisters, Along With Their Young Children, Commit Suicide By Jumping Before Train
The women, married to two brothers in Dharmpuri village in Alwar's Rajgarh town, had left their house early in the morning after a dispute with their husbands' parents

2 Sisters, Along With Their Young Children, Commit Suicide By Jumping Before Train

Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron 'Bromance' Fires Up Internet

Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron 'Bromance' Fires Up Internet
The Internet was abuzz Friday with pictures of French President Emmanuel Macron and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau schmoozing at the G7 summit in Sicily, strolling through flowered walkways 

Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron 'Bromance' Fires Up Internet