The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with improvements added to its cryogenic upper stage (CUS) is expected to be ready in the second half of this year.

What is GSLV?

• GSLV is an expendable space launch vehicle designed, developed, and operated by the ISRO to launch satellites and other space objects into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits.
• GSLV is 49.13 m tall and tallest among all other vehicles of ISRO.
• It is a three-stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 420 tonnes.
• ISRO first launched GSLV on April 18, 2001 and has made 13 launches since then.

Stages in GSLV

• 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.

Variants in GSLV

• GSLV rockets using the Russian Cryogenic Stage (CS) are designated as the GSLV Mk I while versions using the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) are designated the GSLV Mk II.
• All GSLV launches have been conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Difference between PSLV and GSLV

• GSLV has the capability to put a heavier payload in the orbit than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
• PSLV can carry satellites up to a total weight of 2000 kg into space and reach up to an altitude of 600-900 km.
• GSLV can carry weight up to 5,000 kg and reach up to 36,000 km.
• PSLV is designed mainly to deliver earth observation or remote sensing satellites, whereas, GSLV has been designed for launching communication satellites.
• GSLV delivers satellites into a higher elliptical orbit, Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

Back2Basics: ISRO’s transportation modules

(1) SLV

• In the space transportation domain, the commissioning of the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) project in the early 1970s was the first indigenous experimental satellite launch vehicle.
• As a four stage, all solid, launch vehicle, SLV-3 had its successful launch in July 1980, thrusting India into the select league of six countries with the capability to launch satellites on their own.
• The ASLV- Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle project, in the early 1980s, was the next step of evolution in launch vehicle technology.

(2) PSLV

• In mid 80s came the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) project. PSLV was successfully launched in 1994.
• The vehicle has proven to be a workhorse of ISRO, logging over 50 successful missions, launching national as well as foreign satellites.
• On 15 February 2017, PSLV created a world record by successfully placing 104 satellites.
• The nation embarked upon a highly challenging quest to master the complex cryogenic technology.

(3) GSLV

Discussed above.

(4) SSLV

• The Small Satellites Launching Vehicles (SSLVs) used for commercial launching of small satellites is under incubation.
• It is a small-lift launch vehicle being developed by the ISRO with payload capacity to deliver:

1. 600 kg to Low Earth Orbit (500 km) or
2. 300 kg to Sun-synchronous Orbit (500 km)

• It would help launching small satellites, with the capability to support multiple orbital drop-offs.
• In future a dedicated launch pad in Sriharikota called Small Satellite Launch Complex (SSLC) will be set up.

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