ISRO Successfully Launches GSLV Mk-III and CARE Experiment
Reach for the Skies: ISRO Successfully Launches GSLV Mk-III and CARE Experiment
Making a foray into realising and reaching India’s hope of sending humans to space, the Indian Space Research Organisation/ISRO effectively tested the atmospheric re-entry of the crew module following the launch of its heaviest and largest space vehicle GSLV Mk-III.
Experiment CARE Leaves Nothing to Chance
5.4 minutes following its lift off at 9:30 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre’s Second Launch Pad,the module made its successful separation from the rocket at the height of 126 km and re-entered into the atmosphere of the earth at 80 km from the sea level.
The module than splashed into the Bay of Bengal after entering in a ballistic mode right on target 180 km from Indira Point, the tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Carrying the CARE or Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment) as its payload, the LVM3-X flight with an active S200 and L110 propulsion stages plus a passive C25 stage with a dummy engine made its successful launch.
A Record Of Many Kinds
This is the first time the IRSO has carried a payload over 3 tonnes. Previously, the PSLV rocket in 2007 carried the SRE-1 module which weighed a mere 555 kg.
This is a heaviest launch vehicle which has been successfully released by the ISRO. With a weight of over 3 tonnes and a 2.7 metre tall crew module with a diameter of 3.1 metres, and an aluminium alloy internal structure and composite panels plus ablative thermal protection systems, this system dropped into see using specially constructed parachutes from the DRDO lab Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment.
This experiment has also seen the largest parachute in action ever attempted by the nation. The main parachute has helped the crew module touch the waters at the speed of 7 metres per second and 31 metres in diameter.
A Successful Mission
ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said, as quoted by ET that "This was a very significant day in the history of Indian space programme for the development of the advanced launch vehicle that could carry a 4-tonne class of communication satellite into orbit."
The crew module can hold up to 2 to 3 astronauts which can bear around 1,600 degree celsius and it travelled towards the Earth’s surface attracted by gravity.
Experimental Mission With Important Lessons
The ISRO was able to learn more about the flight validation of the intricate atmospheric flight regime of the LVM3 vehicle and study the crucial re-entry characteristics of CARE crew module.
"India started the development process a decade ago and just now we completed the first experimental flight of the GSLV Mark III vehicle christened as LVM Mark III," Radhakrishnan from the Mission Control Centre was quoted as saying.
"The performance of the two solid stages S200 as well as the liquid core stage L110 was as expected," he also added.
"We also had another experimental module in this mission that is the unmanned crew module test to understand the re-entry characteristics. That also worked extremely well and the crew module has splashed down as expected in Bay of Bengal," Radhakrishnan added.
The ISRO chairman also credited the team at the organisation "with the completion of the development of the high thrust cryogenic engine which has progressed very well, we expect to come back with a developmental flight of this vehicle LVM-3 in another two years.”
Payoffs for India
Once the GSLV Mk III has been mastered, ISRO will save massive amounts of foreign exchange for sending heavy communication satellites where currently international space agencies are being used. This heavy launch vehicle can also help and earn foreign revenue by sending heavy satellites for other nations.
"Successful launch of GSLV Mk-III is yet another triumph of brilliance & hardwork of our scientists. Congrats to them for the efforts. @isro," Indian PM Modi tweeted. With this massive success, GSLV Mk III could well pave the way for future prosperity for the nation.
