GSLV MK III
- The three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle’s fifth iteration is referred to as the GSLV MKIII.
- The launch vehicle can carry satellites weighing up to 4,000 kg GTO.
- The first stage is composed of two enormous rockets that utilise powerful propellants.
- The second and third stages are made up, respectively, of the cryogenic engine and the core with liquid propellant.
- The GSLV Mark III weighs 641 tonnes, which is about equal to the weight of five fully loaded passenger aircraft.
- The heaviest and toughest launch vehicle currently in service in India is the GSLV MarkIII. It is the shortest launch vehicle and is around 43 metres tall.
Features:
- The third stage of the three-stage GSLV MK-III is the Indian cryogenic stage.
- The three stages of the GSLV MK III are the liquid motor, the solid boosters, and the cryogenic upper stage.
- In the early half of December, India’s GSLV-Mk III launches its experimental mission. The 630-ton GSLV-MK III will deliver a 3.65-ton crew module instead of humans.
- A communication satellite weighing little more than 4 tonnes can be launched into low-Earth orbit using the GSLV-MK III.
The GSLV MK III’s past:
- The GSLV-construction III, which started in the early 2000s, is anticipated to launch for the first time in 2009 or 2010.
- The GSLV Mk. II made its first flight in April 2010 using an Indian-built third stage engine, but it was unsuccessful because the third stage did not ignite.
- The third attempt, which was launched in December 2010 and employed a Russian engine, also failed because the spacecraft lost control during first stage flight.
- The GSLV Mark II’s first successful flight with the in-house cryogenic engine was the GSLV-D5 launch on January 5, 2014.
- On December 18, 2014, the cryogenic third stage of the GSLV-III launcher successfully finished a flight test. The aircraft wasn’t entirely full. It ascended to a height of 120 kilometres with a crew module.
Significance:
- India will be better equipped to participate in the lucrative commercial launch market with the GSLV Mark III. It will help produce a significant amount of foreign currency.
- India will depend less on foreign launchers to install its large satellites, such the INSAT series. The ISRO will support the orbital launch of larger INSAT-4 class communication satellites using the GSLV Mark III.
- This would allow India to accomplish its goal of sending astronauts to space. ISRO refers to its endeavour to launch astronauts into space as “Human Space Flight” (HSF).
