Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Latest News

Ahead of the launch of the NASA-ISRO NISAR satellite, the ISRO recently announced that the satellite had been mounted on a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV), and all systems of the rocket had been checked.

About Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

• It is a space launch vehicle designed, developed, and operated by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to launch satellites and other space objects into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits (GTOs). 
• GSLV has the capability to put a heavier payload in orbit than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• GSLV is 49.13 m tall and the tallest among all other vehicles of ISRO. 
• It is a three-stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes.
  • The first stage comprises S139 solid booster with 138-tonne propellant and four liquid strap-on motors, with 40-tonne propellant. 
  • The second stage is a liquid engine carrying 40-tonne of liquid propellant. 
  • The third stage is the indigenously built Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) carrying 15-tonne of cryogenic propellants.
• The GSLV improves on the performance of the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) by the addition of liquid strap-on boosters and a cryogenic upper stage. 
• The solid first and liquid second stages are carried over from the PSLV, while the cryogenic upper stage is being supplied by Russia until India has developed an indigenous version. 

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Variants of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

• GSLV Mk I:
  • The first-generation GSLV with a payload capacity of carrying 2-2.5 ton satellites to GTO.
  • It used the Russian-supplied cryogenic upper stage, as it had early difficulty with mastering indigenous cryogenic technology.
  • It conducted around 5 flights from 2001-2010, including suborbital tests, with the last launch in 2010.
• GSLV Mk II:
  • It is an enhanced variant with an indigenously developed cryogenic upper-stage engine and stage. 
  • It is capable of carrying payloads to GTO around the 2.5-ton class.
  • The first successful launch occurred in 2014. 
• GSLV Mk III: The GSLV Mk III, also known as LVM-3, is the most advanced and powerful variant in the GSLV series, currently in service with a payload capacity of up to 4 tons to GTO.

Performance of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

• The GSLV has launched various satellites, including communication satellites like INSAT and GSAT, as well as spacecraft from the NavIC and IDRSS series, into GTO.
• Notable missions include the launch of the South Asia Satellite in 2017, a satellite for military applications in 2018, and the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission in 2019.

Source: TH