CURRENT UPDATE : ISRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES GSLV-D5

ISRO SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES GSLV-D5

ISRO successfully launched GSLV-D5 carrying indeginously developed cryogenic engine from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 4.18 Sunday (05-01-2014) evening.

All the three stages of separation of the GSLV took place as per the schedule and planning.

GSAT 14 was put in the intended orbit 17 minutes after GSLV D5 took off from the second launch pad at Sriharikota.

With the successful launch of GSAT-14 in geosynchronous transfer orbit, ISRO has joined the select league of space faring nations possessing cryogenic rocket engine technology.

Today's launch provided Scientists of the Indian space agency the proud moment by successfully testing the cryogenic upper stage engine.

Chairman ISRO Radhakrishnan said that this was a historic day for the scientific community in India. Noting that 20 years of efforts in realising and understanding the cryogenic technology, Radhakrishnan said that all the efforts had finally yielded the best of results with the launch of GSLV D5.

Director of Vikram Sarabhai space Centre, Ramakrishnan said that it was a real great challenge to realise and master the cryogenic technology.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was to launch this rocket last August but aborted it just hours before the deadline as the fuel started leaking from its second stage or engine.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday hailed the successful launch of GSLV D5 satellite as an important step in the area of science and technology and congratulated the ISRO scientists for the feat.

Launching a GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic engine has been a major challenge for ISRO since 2001 after multiple unsuccessful attempts. Only four of earlier seven attempts have succeeded. 

GSLV D5's scheduled launch on August 19 last year was called off in the eleventh hour after a fuel leak, following which ISRO moved the vehicle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building and rectified the defect.

Today's launch is India's eighth flight of GSLV and also the fourth developmental flight of GSLV. 

During this flight, the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) was flight tested for the second time. GSAT-14 is India's 23rd geostationary communication satellite, as four of GSAT-14s predecessors were launched by GSLV during 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007, respectively.

GSAT-14 would join the group of India's nine operational geostationary satellites. The primary objective of this mission is to augment the in-orbit capacity of extended C and Ku-band transponders and provide a platform for new experiments.

The GSAT-14 will be positioned at 74 degree East longitude and co-located with INSAT-3C, INSAT-4CR and KALPANA-1 satellites.

The 12 communication transponders onboard GSAT-14 will further augment the capacity in the INSAT/GSAT system. 

ISRO's Cryogenic Upper Stage Project envisaged the design and development of the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage to replace the stage procured from Russia and used in GSLV flights, according to ISRO. 

ISRO officials had been extremely vigilant in tightening loose ends this time around to avoid an unsuccessful attempt. 

Design modifications were implemented wherever required in the launch vehicle along with thorough ground testing and improvements. The modifications included redesigning of Lower Shroud, which protects the cryogenic engine during atmospheric flight of GSLV-D5 and redesigning of the wire tunnel of the cryo stage to withstand larger forces in flight.

The national space agency also performed two 'Acceptance Tests for flight unit of Fuel Booster Turbo Pump (FBTP), High altitude tests to confirm the ignition sequence in flight under vacuum, to validate design improvements and Cryogenic Main Engine (200 sec) and Steering Engine (100 sec) acceptance tests at Main Engine Test and High Altitude Test.

The Chairman of ISRO Radhakrishnan speaking to mediapersons at Sriharikota said the cryogenic technology would be mastered through another GSLV launch, making the experiment viable for commercial purposes also.

He said ISRO will be launching PSLV C 24 in the next four months. This vehicle will be carrying five satellites of Germany, France, UK and Canada scheduled for launch this March.

He said that a committee has been set up to study the feasibility of a third launch pad and also a second launch site at Sriharikota.

Affirming that the Mars Mission was on its designated path, Radhakrishnan told that it was 9.5 million km from the earth and its health was normal.

He expected that the orbiter would reach the Martian orbit by September 24th this year.