GSLV D3 Launch Today

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ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- GSLV-D3, a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, which is going to be launched today from Sriharikota is hogging the attention of the media and space scientists. The GSLV-D3 is the first ever rocket made in India powered by a state of the art cryogenic engine. It will blast off into space from Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre at around 4.27 p.m today. It will take into space a massive 2,218-kg communication satellite named GSAT-4 which will be put into the orbit of the earth above 36,000 km from ground. The countdown for the rocket launch is going on.

With the launch of the GSLV-D3, India will join the league of the nations that have made cryogenic engines. Countries like Japan, China, USA and Russia have made such engines so far. This engine is a prerequisite for launching satellites weighing over 4,000kg. The scientist and project team have said that the weather condition is favorable for the launch and so far everything is going according to the plan. According to them, with this launch India will achieve another milestone in space research and development. GSLV is the brain child of the Indian Space Research Organization. The system is used by ISRO to launch the INSAT satellite ranges in the geostationary orbit.

India took more than a decade to develop its own Cryogenic liquid technology which is being used in the GSLV-D3. The rocket is huge in dimension and as tall as a 25-storey building, weighing over 419 tonnes. It will take 17 minutes to put the GSAT-4 satellite in the orbit.