“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
The take off
The Mark III uses a very different cryogenic stage than the one on the GSLV, simpler in design and two and a half times more powerful than the latter. So far, this stage and its engine have only been tested on the ground
Today will see the rocket’s first developmental flight, with all its stages operational. A successful flight means it'd be able to launch communication satellites that were being launched abroad at a considerable cost
But given the evolving nature of space requirements, GSLV Mark III may not suffice. Isro certainly needs to improve its ability to put higher and higher mass objects into space for multiple reasons
Turns out, Isro has been secretly working on another technology with some Ukrainian help
At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India’s sole spaceport in Sriharikota, a hulking metal form looms over the Second Launch Pad. Isro’s newest rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, is ready to take to the skies this evening.
Isro officials will be keeping their fingers crossed. The performance of the rocket’s cryogenic stage, running on liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, will be of particular concern.
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