Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: LVM3 (GSLV MK3), PSLV

Mains level: Satellite program of Indi

lvm3

The ISRO’s heaviest rocket, Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 or GSLV Mark 3) has successfully put into orbit 36 satellites of the U.K.-based OneWeb.

Also in news

The ISRO has renamed the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark -III as Launch Vehicle Mark-III, mainly to identify its task of placing satellites into a variety of orbits.

What is LVM3?

LVM3 (erstwhile 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.
It 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 LVM3 on April 18, 2001 and has made 13 launches since then.

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.

LVM3 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.
LVM3 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, LVM3 has been designed for launching communication satellites.
LVM3 delivers satellites into a higher elliptical orbit, Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).

The LVM3 is capable of lifting much heavier satellites than the GSLV Mk II with a bigger cryogenic upper stage and a larger first stage.
Both GSLV Mk II and LVM3 are three-stage vehicles, while the PSLV, which launches to low earth polar orbits, is a four-stage vehicle.
The GSLV Mk-II can place up to 2,500kg in geosynchronous orbits and up to 5,000kg to low earth orbit.
By comparison, the LVM3 can lift 4,000kg to GTO and up to 8,000 kg to LEO.