India's heaviest rocket 'GSLV MkIII-D1' carrying GSAT-19 all set for maiden flight today

The GSLV MkIII-D1, in its first experimental flight, carrying 3,136-kilogram weighed GSAT-19 communication satellite, will take off from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at 5 p.m. today, June 5, 2017.

Image credit: ISRO

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch its heavy lift rocket, GSLV-Mark III, capable of carrying humans into Geo synchronous orbit on Monday.

The GSLV MkIII-D1, in its first experimental flight, carrying 3,136-kilogram weighed GSAT-19 communication satellite, will take off from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at 17:28 hours (IST) today, June 5, 2017.

You can watch the launch of GSLV MkIII-D1/GSAT-19 Live on Doordarshan and ISRO website from 16:55 hours (IST) onwards today.

According to ISRO, the 25-and-half hour countdown for the launch of GSLV-Mk III-D1 commenced at 3.58 p.m. on Sunday, soon after the Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorisation Board gave the clearance.

The vehicle is capable of lifting payloads of up to 4,000 kg into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and 10,000 kg into the Low Earth Orbit.

Dubbed by the scientists as the "Monster Rocket", in today's mission, it will launch the GSAT-19 into the GTO at 16.20 minutes after lift off, and then placing it a distance of 36,000 km from earth.

Till now, India had depended on foreign countries for launching communication satellites beyond 2.3 tons.

With this India will be in the elite club of launching a heavy satellite. So far, the United States, Russia, Europe, China and Japan have achieved this feat.

The rocket is powered by an indigenous cryogenic engine that uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants.

The flight`s launch is expected to boost India`s assertions of putting humans into space.

Reportedly, the ISRO has asked Rs 12,500 crore from the Centre for its mission to place humans in space. If approved, the work is expected to take roughly seven years.

The premiere space agency has already developed critical technologies for a human space mission. The space suit is ready and a crew module was tested in 2014.

(With Agencies input)