GSLV Mk III - A Comprehensive Overview of Heavier Launch Vehicle

GSLV stands for Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. GSLV Mk III is a 3 stage medium lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO. This launch vehicle is designed for carrying heavier satellites. This article shares information on the objectives of developing it, its successful launches, payload capacities & engines.

GSLV - Mk III - Objectives of Developing this Launch Vehicle

GSLV Mk -III has higher thrust than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the most successful launch vehicle of ISRO. The objective of developing GSLV Mk III are listed below.

1. To launch heavier communication satellites 2. To launch heavier multi-purpose satellites 3. Future Interplanetary exploration 4. To launch future crewed missions i.e. to carry humans to space.

GSLV Mk III - Launches till 2020 So far GSLV Mk III has had 4 successful launches. The list is given below.

1. CARE (Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Mission) 2. GSAT - 19 Mission, launched in June 2017. 3. GSAT - 29 Mission, launched in November 2018. 4. Chandrayaan 2 Mission - It was a mission to the Moon. It was launched in 2019.

All the above launches were from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota, located in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

GSLV - Mk III - Payload Capacity 1. It is designed to carry satellites weighing 4 tons into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). 2. It can carry satellites weighing 10 tons to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) - at an altitude of 600 kms.

GSLV Mk III - Engines & Boosters

1. 2 Vikas Engines powers the Core Stage. These engines are developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO. 2. S 200, 2 Solid Boosters are used to give the GSLV Mk III a huge thrust. S 200 was developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum. 3. The Upper stage is known as the cryogenic stage (C-25). This stage is powered by CE-20, the largest Cryogenic Engine built by ISRO. Cryogenic engines are a very complex technology that has been developed by very few countries.