India successfully launched its most powerful rocket yet, the GSLV Mk III on Monday, establishing its place in the global heavy payload market. Nicknamed 'Fat Boy', the rocket fired by a high-thrust indigenous cryogenic engine, lifted off at 5.28 from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and placed a four-tonne communications satellite GSAT 19 in geosynchronous transfer orbit 15.53 minutes later, and a couple of seconds earlier than scheduled.
The launch is a major feat for the Indian Space Research Organisation as it demonstrated its proficiency in developing a technology that was denied to it years ago. ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar said, “The GSLV Mk III needs just one more developmental flight, planned in a year, before it can be declared operational.” The launch flaunted an indigenous cryogenic engine, which was in the works since 2002, and will become a stealthy foundation for ambitious future projects, including Chandrayaan II, scheduled for the first quarter of 2018 and a manned mission. It also showed ISRO's capability to make a next-generation satellite with a high reach.
The newly-installed satellite contains 50 new technologies which will be its mainstay in the next decade. Kumar congratulated all scientists involved in the mission, calling the day historic. “The entire team has worked since 2002. The vehicle carried the next-generation satellite.” Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Dr K Sivan said it was the commencement of complex technologies - a vehicle that can carry twice the payload weight and a high throughput satellite. “It is the continued efforts of the team and industry contribution.”
P Kunhikrishnan, director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, said ISRO made two new technologies for GSLV Mk III at the launchpad. “We made an acoustic suppression unit, which is a tower containing 600 tonnes of water, and a solid propellant plant to prepare the 200 tonnes each of propellant loaded in each of the motors. The suppression unit splashed the water on the rocket when it lifted odd.” He said integration for the next launch of PSLV C38 was on simultaneously at the launchpad. “It is planned for the next half of the month. The next GSLV Mk III will be integrated in the new vehicle assembly, which will be three times bigger.”
With the successful launch, ISRO will now be able to fully operationalise the new launch vehicle for heavy satellites. Heavy satellites include communication and meteorological satellites that weigh about 4 to 6 tonne and operate from geostationary orbit. India currently has nine operational communication satellites and together, they have over 200 transponders in the C, Extended C and Ku-bands. They are primarily used for television broadcasting and for providing various telecommunications services.
A proud leader, Narendra Modi took to micro-blogging website Twitter to share the news. “The GSLV- MK III D1/GSAT-19 mission takes India closer to the next generation launch vehicle and satellite capability.” He also wrote, “The nation is proud!” Ajay Lele from Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, said, “This is an important moment in India's space technology, to launch an indigenous heavy rocket. Communication satellites are quite heavy and we were (only) able to send up to two tons previously. This is a double quantum jump for India.”
