NEW DELHI: ISRO on Sunday launched its heaviest rocket GSLV Mk III, the vehicle took off from the Sriharikota Space Centre. India has tried launching GSLV in the past also, but most of them had ended up as a failure. GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) has been even called “Generally Sea Loving Vehicle” as it had ended up falling into sea many times before.
The GSLV, which has been also launched earlier 11 times by India, only the last four had been successful. The 640-tonne rocket carrying the weight of 200 full-grown Asian elephants is expected to carry astronauts to space in the near future of seven years, as per NDTV.
SLV-3, which was launched in 1979 was ended in failure, another PSLV ended up in the sea after its launch in 1993. As a result, before the launch of GSLV Mk III, 100 engineers and scientists who have contributed to the making of the vehicle at ISRO seemed nervous.
Till date, India could launch only smaller satellites. For the launch of heavier satellites like the 3,130 kg GSAT-19 the GSLV carried today, it had to approach other nations, ISRO scientists say that to launch satellites like GSLV more foreign business involvement is required.
The government has been promoting the home-grown space programme as a demonstration of the low-cost technology.