Introduction
GSLV-Mk-3, or GSLV-III, is being developed to launch up to 4 tons into geosynchronous transfer orbit and up to 10 tons in low Earth orbit.
Weight 629 ton
Height
49 m
GTO Weight
10 ton
GEO Weight
4.5 - 5 ton
GSLV-Mk III will launch a four ton payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit and up to 10-ton satellites in low Earth orbit.
Its payload fairing has a diameter of 5 m and is 5m heigh. It will provide for about 110 cubic meter of payload volume.
The launcher is under development with a $500 million budget and a Russian cryogenic stage, which will eventually be replaced with an Indian Cryogenic Engine (ICE).
The launcher is not a derivative of GSLV. It is a completely new design.
It will eventually be used for the Indian manned space flight program, allowing the Indian Manned Spacecraft to carry three astronauts instead of two using the GSLV Mk II.
Configuration
It is a three-stage launcher with a 110 ton restartable core liquid propellant second stage (L-110) using two Vikas engines, a strap-on first stage with two solid propellant S-200 motors, each with 200 ton propellant, and a cryogenic upper stage with a propellant loading of 25 ton (C-25).
First Flight
A sub-orbital flight test of the launcher, sans its cryogenic third stage, is planned for December 2012. If the test is successful, the launcher will start orbital flights in 2014. [via NASASpaceflight.com]
In Jan-Feb 2012, ISRO fully assembled a GSLV Mk3 in Sriharikota and integrated it on the second launch pad. A series of tests were done followed by a detailed review by experts. [via Deccan Herald]
The launcher was initially expected to become operational by 2010/2011 with first flight in 2009-10.
The failure of ISRO developed cryogenic upper stage on April 15, 2010 has led to a prolonged delay in the first flight of GSLV Mk-3.
Addressing the National Technology Summit in New Delhi on June 7, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said ISRO will test the GSLV Mk-3 in two years.
"In the next two years, we are looking to begin the flight-testing of the GSLV Mk III engine, which will be the third-largest in the world," he said.
Speaking to the press on April 28, 2011, M. Chandradathan, Director, Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, said that the launcher would be ready by the end of 2012 and it would be tested next year.
GSLV-Mk III has three stages. The first stage, Solid propellant booster S-200 has been tested and qualified; Second and liquid propellant stage called L-110 has also been tested. Work is yet to be completed in third and important stage, the cryogenic stage, he said.
L-110 Core Stage Development
The L-110 core stage measures 17 metres in length and four metres in diameter.
The two Vikas engines used in the stage also serve as the second stage of PSLV and GSLV.
While in PSLV and GSLV, the liquid stage with single engine configuration burns for 150 seconds, the GSLV-Mk III requires burning for 200 seconds in a twin engine configuration.
First Static Test
A test of the L-110 core stage was conducted on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri near Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, where a huge test rig has been erected.
The test firing was planned for 200 seconds but had to be aborted at 150 seconds due to a deviation in one of the 500 parameters being monitored.
The test will be repeated after an analysis of the data gathered from the first test.
L-110 Test firing on March 6, 2010
Second Static Test
A second 200 sec static test of the L-110 was successfully conducted on Wednesday, September 8, 2010
S-200 motor
The S-200 motors (200 ton propellant, 25m) are the third largest solid propellant boosters in the world - after the US Space Shuttles booster (440 ton, 37.8m) and Europes Ariane (240 ton, 31.6m)
They are being manufactured in a largely automated plant in Shreeharikota built by Indian engineers and industry.
Measured in terms of diameter, the S-200 ranks second in the world with 3.2m, with the while Space Shuttle and Ariane measuring 3.6 m and 3.05 m respectively.
The S-200 motors have a fuel burn time of 103 secs, against Ariane's 130 sec and Space Shuttle booster's 123 sec.
The S-200 will be ground tested at India's space port Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, 80 km from Chennai during the third week of January 2010.
The solid rocket under development for Ares1 will eventually become the heaviest solid propellant rocket motor with a diameter of 3.77m, length of 52m, propellant capacity of 625 ton and a burn time of 123 seconds.
GSLV Mk-3 model at Aero India 2011 at Bengaluru. Photo Copyright © Vijainder K Thakur
S-200 Test Firings
The S-200 was tested with a 130 sec burn on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. The motor produced a peak thrust of 500 tons.
N. Narayana Moorthy, Project Director, GSLV Mk-III, called the test a big success. Over 600 parameters were monitored during the test.
GSLV-Mk-3, or GSLV-III, is being developed to launch up to 4 tons into geosynchronous transfer orbit and up to 10 tons in low Earth orbit.
Weight 629 ton
Height
49 m
GTO Weight
10 ton
GEO Weight
4.5 - 5 ton
GSLV-Mk III will launch a four ton payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit and up to 10-ton satellites in low Earth orbit.
Its payload fairing has a diameter of 5 m and is 5m heigh. It will provide for about 110 cubic meter of payload volume.
The launcher is under development with a $500 million budget and a Russian cryogenic stage, which will eventually be replaced with an Indian Cryogenic Engine (ICE).
The launcher is not a derivative of GSLV. It is a completely new design.
It will eventually be used for the Indian manned space flight program, allowing the Indian Manned Spacecraft to carry three astronauts instead of two using the GSLV Mk II.
Configuration
It is a three-stage launcher with a 110 ton restartable core liquid propellant second stage (L-110) using two Vikas engines, a strap-on first stage with two solid propellant S-200 motors, each with 200 ton propellant, and a cryogenic upper stage with a propellant loading of 25 ton (C-25).
First Flight
A sub-orbital flight test of the launcher, sans its cryogenic third stage, is planned for December 2012. If the test is successful, the launcher will start orbital flights in 2014. [via NASASpaceflight.com]
In Jan-Feb 2012, ISRO fully assembled a GSLV Mk3 in Sriharikota and integrated it on the second launch pad. A series of tests were done followed by a detailed review by experts. [via Deccan Herald]
The launcher was initially expected to become operational by 2010/2011 with first flight in 2009-10.
The failure of ISRO developed cryogenic upper stage on April 15, 2010 has led to a prolonged delay in the first flight of GSLV Mk-3.
Addressing the National Technology Summit in New Delhi on June 7, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said ISRO will test the GSLV Mk-3 in two years.
"In the next two years, we are looking to begin the flight-testing of the GSLV Mk III engine, which will be the third-largest in the world," he said.
Speaking to the press on April 28, 2011, M. Chandradathan, Director, Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, said that the launcher would be ready by the end of 2012 and it would be tested next year.
GSLV-Mk III has three stages. The first stage, Solid propellant booster S-200 has been tested and qualified; Second and liquid propellant stage called L-110 has also been tested. Work is yet to be completed in third and important stage, the cryogenic stage, he said.
L-110 Core Stage Development
The L-110 core stage measures 17 metres in length and four metres in diameter.
The two Vikas engines used in the stage also serve as the second stage of PSLV and GSLV.
While in PSLV and GSLV, the liquid stage with single engine configuration burns for 150 seconds, the GSLV-Mk III requires burning for 200 seconds in a twin engine configuration.
First Static Test
A test of the L-110 core stage was conducted on Saturday, March 6, 2010, at the the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri near Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, where a huge test rig has been erected.
The test firing was planned for 200 seconds but had to be aborted at 150 seconds due to a deviation in one of the 500 parameters being monitored.
The test will be repeated after an analysis of the data gathered from the first test.
L-110 Test firing on March 6, 2010
Second Static Test
A second 200 sec static test of the L-110 was successfully conducted on Wednesday, September 8, 2010
S-200 motor
The S-200 motors (200 ton propellant, 25m) are the third largest solid propellant boosters in the world - after the US Space Shuttles booster (440 ton, 37.8m) and Europes Ariane (240 ton, 31.6m)
They are being manufactured in a largely automated plant in Shreeharikota built by Indian engineers and industry.
Measured in terms of diameter, the S-200 ranks second in the world with 3.2m, with the while Space Shuttle and Ariane measuring 3.6 m and 3.05 m respectively.
The S-200 motors have a fuel burn time of 103 secs, against Ariane's 130 sec and Space Shuttle booster's 123 sec.
The S-200 will be ground tested at India's space port Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, 80 km from Chennai during the third week of January 2010.
The solid rocket under development for Ares1 will eventually become the heaviest solid propellant rocket motor with a diameter of 3.77m, length of 52m, propellant capacity of 625 ton and a burn time of 123 seconds.
GSLV Mk-3 model at Aero India 2011 at Bengaluru. Photo Copyright © Vijainder K Thakur
S-200 Test Firings
The S-200 was tested with a 130 sec burn on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota. The motor produced a peak thrust of 500 tons.
N. Narayana Moorthy, Project Director, GSLV Mk-III, called the test a big success. Over 600 parameters were monitored during the test.
