Fact Box: ISRO’s GSLV-Mk III

ISRO’s GSLV-Mk III is all set to be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on June 5, 2017. GSLV-Mk III is the heaviest rocket ever made by ISRO which is capable of carrying heavy payloads. Salient Facts GSKV-Mk III can put four-tonne satellites in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and is capable of placing up to eight tonnes in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This capacity is enough to carry a manned module and launch people into space. The rocket has three-stages with two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C-25). The solid booster S200 is the third largest solid booster in the world. It was successfully tested at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota on January 24, 2010. The indigenously developed cryogenic upper stage, C-25, which is the most difficult component was successfully tested on February 18, 2017. On June 5, GSLV-Mk III’s first developmental flight, D1, will place GSAT-19 satellite into space. GSAT-19 will help to improve telecommunication and broadcasting areas. This is India’s first fully functional rocket to be tested with a cryogenic engine. Cryogenic engine makes use of liquid propellants (liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen). ISRO took about 25 years, 11 flights and over 200 tests on different components to come up with this rocket. The rocket weighs 640-tonne which will be equivalent to the weight of 200 fully-grown Asian elephants.