New Delhi, May 29: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set for the launch the launch of the GSLV Mk III indigenously-made carrier rocket on June 5. The rocket has a special significance since it could be the first step towards sending an Indian manned mission to space.

The rocket is also called as “Fat Boy”, to represent the fact that it is the heaviest launch vehicle that ISRO will launch. Weighing an enormous, 640 tonnes, which is a weight approximately equivalent to 300 trucks. Measuring a staggering 43 feet in height, the launch vehicle can put a 4-tonne satellite into a geostationary orbit and an 8-tonne satellite in a low-earth orbit. Meanwhile, the MK II can only place a 2-tonne class satellite in space.

Apart from the increased payload capacity, the GSLV Mk III has an advantage in terms of manoeuvrability over the GSLV Mk II.  The carrier rocket will have an advanced indigenous cryogenic engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO. The engine will use liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants.

The engine can store 27 tonnes of propellant, producing a thrust of  186 Kilo Newton.It has taken ISRO over 15 years and multiple obstacles to launch the satellite. Over 200 tests have been done on various components of the launch vehicle. Its high carrying capacity makes it capable of launching a manned mission. Currently, the United States, Russia and China are the only countries in the world that can launch a manned mission.

According to a report in TOI, Chairman of ISRO, Kiran Kumar is reported to have said, “GSLV Mk III could in principle be used for a manned mission. Until we get the final approval from the government, Isro won’t work on the manned mission. Our key priority is to meet the national demand of providing more number of satellites into orbits in the field of communication, remote sensing and navigation. Therefore, we are focusing on increasing our launch capacities both in lower and geostationary orbits and to make our launches cost-effective.”

Quelle: india

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GSLV Mk-III mission: All eyes on CE-20 cryogenic engine

  

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A big engine for a big rocket. When the hefty GSLV Mk-III (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III), India’s most powerful rocket to date, takes to the skies in the first week of June, all eyes will be on its upper stage. Scientists here at ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), especially, are keeping their fingers crossed as the CE-20 cryogenic engine - which powers the upper stage - is about to be flight-tested for the first time.

A model of the CE-20 engine | Express

LPSC was responsible for designing and developing the CE-20. LPSC director S Somanath calls the CE-20 a fully made-in-India engine. “We are happy that work on the engine has been completed successfully. The engine has undergone around 200 tests at the system, sub-system levels alone. The completed engine has been tested around seven times, and two tests have been conducted in flight configuration at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) Mahendragiri,’’ he said.

ISRO has been working on developing the CE-20 engine ever since the GSLV Mk-III project was approved by the Centre in 2002. In between, LPSC had built the CE-7.5, a smaller cryogenic engine for the conventional GSLV Mk-II rocket. Until then, India had been using the Russian-made KVD-1 cryos to power the GSLV. Like the CE-7.5, CE-20 also uses liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidiser. But there the resemblance ends.

CE-20 gives a thrust of about 20 tonnes, way more than its smaller cousin. The CE-7.5 was more or less a copy of the Russian engine, but calling the CE-20 a mere scaled-up version of the CE-7.5 would be wrong, he said. ‘’The fundamentals of the two engines are quite different. The thermodynamic cycles are different. The CE-7.5 follows a staged combustion cycle, and the CE-20 a gas-generated cycle. A gas generated cycle is less riskier to develop,’’ Somanath said. ISRO has placed orders for 12 CE-20 engines with LPSC, he added.

GSLV Mk-III can put satellites weighing four tonnes in the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), making India self-sufficient in this respect. The Mk-III rocket has three stages, with the cryo-powered stage being the uppermost. In December 2014, ISRO had flight-tested the GSLV Mk-III for the first time.

 
It was a success, but the cryogenic stage was kept ‘passive’ on that mission, as the idea was validate the launch vehicle.

Quelle: The New Indian Express

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Update: 31.05.2017

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ISRO is all set to launch GSLV-Mk III mission on June 5

GSLV-Mark III is capable launching four ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO). The GSLV rocket is the first developmental flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a GTO. Picture courtesy Twitter

GSLV-Mark III is capable launching four ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO). The GSLV rocket is the first developmental flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a GTO. Picture courtesy Twitter

Moving a vital step forward in space technology, the Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch its heaviest rocket GSLV-Mark III, carrying communication satellite on June 5 from country's spaceport in Sriharikota.

GSLV-Mark III is capable launching four ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The GSLV rocket is the first developmental flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a GTO.

A senior official from ISRO here on Tuesday said "GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 mission is scheduled to be launched on 5, June, 2017 at 4.28 pm from the second
launch pad at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota".

According to ISRO official, after getting clearance from Mission Readiness Review (MRR) committee and Launch Authorisation Board (LAB), the countdown of the GSLV-Mark III launch mission will be announced.

GSAT-19 satellite with a lift-off mass of 3136 kg, is the communication satellite of India, configured around the ISRO’s standard I-3K bus.

GSAT-19 carries Ka/Ku-band high throughput communication transponders. Besides, it carries a Geostationary Radiation Spectrometer (GRASP) payload to monitor and study the nature of charged particles and the influence of space radiation on satellites and their electronic components. 

GSAT-19 also features certain advanced spacecraft technologies including miniaturised heat pipe, fibre optic gyro, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometer, Ku-band TTC transponder, as well an indigenous Lithium-ion Battery.
Quelle: DECCAN HERALD
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Update: 3.06.2017
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Indian Space Agency Readies For Monster Rocket's Mega Launch In Sriharikota On June 5

The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) mega monster, which took 15 years of relentless work by the scientists, is capable of carrying four ton communication satellites to space

Indian Space Agency Readies For Monster Rocket's Mega Launch In Sriharikota On June 5
 

India's heaviest rocket weighs more than the combined weight of 200 full-grown Asian elephants.

NEW DELHI:  India is all set to launch on June 5 its heaviest rocket which weighs more than the combined weight of 200 full-grown Asian elephants or five fully-loaded jumbo jets. The all-new 640-ton Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle - Mark III (GSLV Mk- III) could soon be used to ferry Indian astronauts to space. India tests a new satellite system as well. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) mega monster, which took 15 years of relentless work by the scientists, is capable of carrying four ton communication satellites to space. On its maiden launch, it will hoist the 3,136 kilogram GSAT-19, an experimental communications satellite, to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

 
"We are pushing ourselves to the limits to ensure that this new fully self-reliant Indian rocket succeeds in its maiden launch," ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar said.

At 43 metres, the rocket is higher than a 13-storeyed building. While it's capable of launching four ton communication satellites, it can also send six to 10 ton bodies into low earth orbits. If all goes well in the next few years and after a slew of at least half a dozen successful launches, the GSLV-Mk III which was earlier named Launch Vehicle Mark-3, could become India's vehicle of choice to launch Indians into space.

 
Dr K Kasturirangan, former chairman, ISRO said, "The success of GSLV Mk- III will usher in a new era of our self-reliance in the context of launching our own four ton class of satellites for geosynchronous missions."  
 

The rocket is powered by an indigenously designed cryogenic engine that uses liquid oxygen and hydrogen as a propellant. While the estimated cost of the new rocket is around Rs. 300 crore, it will help the country save almost as much when it will be used to place the country's communication satellites.

India already has two operational rockets -- the workhorse PSLV that can hoist satellites of 1.5 ton into space and was the preferred vehicle for India's maiden mission to Moon and Mars and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II which can hoist 2 ton class of satellites. However, because of its repeated failures, it was dubbed 'the naughty boy of ISRO'.
Quelle: NDTV
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Update: 4.06.2017 / 7.45 MESZ
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ISRO abuzz with Monday’s heavy-lift rocket launch

India eyes slot in 4-tonne club of developed nations

An anxious space establishment is keeping its fingers crossed over the launch of its new and most powerful rocket on June 5.

On that evening, the indigenous GSLV-Mark III will make a bid to breach a heavy-lift rocket club that can put four-tonne satellites into space. The U.S., Russia, Europe, China and Japan are already there.

The first development vehicle, called GSLV-MkIII D-1, is slated to fly from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 5.28 p.m., says the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The success of the first full flight of Mk III will mean that soon, Indian communication satellites can be lofted into space from within the country. It will also improve ISRO’s ability to reach heavier satellites to both — the higher geostationary transfer orbit or GTO of 36,000 km; and to low-Earth orbit or LEO of up to 800 km. ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, A.S. Kiran Kumar, told The Hindu : “MkIII should enable us to launch communication satellites totally in India without going out. That is the primary aim.”

“We are improving our capacity to put higher payloads into GTO and LEO. What we now have with MkII is capability for lifting 2.2 tonnes to GTO. This rocket will give us a higher weight capability than what we now have, for both GTO and LEO. Since 1995, we have launched all Earth observation satellites [which are smaller] ourselves on the [lighter lifting] PSLV rocket. Once we are through with GSLV MkIII, we will be able to launch all communication satellites ourselves.”

 

Independence apart, an indigenous launch vehicle also means lower cost of putting spacecraft to orbit, said K. Sivan, Director of the lead rocket development centre, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

Larger payload soon

The first payload, communication satellite GSAT-19, however, has been kept below 4 tonnes — at a safe 3,136 kg. “We will subsequently increase the payload,” Mr. Kiran Kumar said. Communication spacecraft are generally put into GTOs first (the orbit is adjusted over days.)

Although MkIII was approved in 2002 and work on it and its facilities began over the last six to eight years, the most intensive part was during 2014-16. In December 2014, ISRO conducted a partial flight using only MkIII’s solid motor S200 and liquid stage L110, flying it to around 160 km.

Quelle: The Hindu

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Fotos: ISRO

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Update: 19.15 MESZ

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GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission

GSLV Mk III-D1

GSLV-Mk III is capable launching 4 ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO). It is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C25).

GSLV-Mk III-D1 is the first developmental flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The vehicle is configured with a 5 m ogive payload fairing and slanted strap-on nose cone to provide aerodynamic robustness.

GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission is scheduled to be launched on June 05, 2017 at 17:28 Hrs (IST) from the Second Launch Pad at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota

Quelle: ISRO

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Update: 5.06.2017

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GSLV Mk III-D1/GSAT-19 Mission

GSLV Mk III-D1

gslvmk-iii01-1

GSLV-Mk III is capable launching 4 ton class of satellites to Geosynchronous Transfer orbit (GTO). It is a three-stage vehicle with two solid motor strap-ons (S200), a liquid propellant core stage (L110) and a cryogenic stage (C25).

GSLV-Mk III-D1 is the first developmental flight, carrying 3136 kg GSAT-19 satellite to a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). The vehicle is configured with a 5 m ogive payload fairing and slanted strap-on nose cone to provide aerodynamic robustness.

GSLV Mk III-D1 launched GSAT-19 on Monday, June 05, 2017 from the Second Launch Pad (SLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota.

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Quelle: ISRO