GSLV-D5 launched with indigenous cryogenic technology
Sriharikota : India on Sunday joined the select league of space-faring nations with indigenous cryogenic engine technology, successfully launching its rocket – endearingly called the naughty boy for its earlier waywardness – that put a communication satellite in orbit. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed it “yet another important step”.
The successful launch of India’s heavier rocket – the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-D5 (GSLV-D5) – not only means the indigenous cryogenic engine has performed well but would also pave way for sizeable savings for the country in future launch costs.
It also opens up a window to earn foreign exchange from launching heavier foreign satellites.
The communication satellite will be used for telemedicine and tele-education services.
The Indian space scientists’ toil of around two decades in conceiving the more efficient cryogenic engine technology, which provides more thrust for every kilogram of propellant, spending around Rs.400 crore has come to fruition with the delivery of the GSAT-14 in the outer space.
At precisely 4.18 p.m., GSLV-D5 rocket with a deep roar rose into the sky on a tail of an orange flame, breaking away from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here.
Around 17 minutes into the space flight, the 49.13-metre tall, 414.75-tonne GSLV-D5 rocket slung the 1,982-kg GSAT-14 in the intended orbit.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh described it as “yet another important step that the country has taken in the area of science and technology”.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was to launch this rocket last August but aborted the blast-off just hours before the deadline as fuel started leaking from its second stage or engine.
ISRO’s scientists at the mission control centre were visibly happy with Sunday’s blast-off. They back-slapped and hugged one another.
ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishan said: “The Indian cryogenic engine and stage performed as predicted and as expected for the mission and injected GSAT-14 in its intended orbit.”
“We have paid back all our debts to the country.”
Radhakrishnan said that “20 years of efforts and toil in developing cryogenic engine and stage has paid off. The excruciating efforts of the past three years has been realized”. An ecstatic S.Ramakrishnan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said: “At ISRO we used to call GSLV as naughty boy. But today the naughty boy is a very obedient boy.”
The reference was two earlier attempts to launch the GSLV in 2010, which failed.
As the rocket zoomed away, a former space scientist could barely contain his joy in Kerala. “I am really happy… Now the sky is the limit for India. We should now have an overall plan and am sure scientists are working on it as this cryogenic engine is the best of its kind,” said S. Nambinarayanan. (IANS)