Launch of India's biggest rocket is a defining moment in space exploration
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its 90th spacecraft mission on June 5, 2017, called GSLV MkIII-D1/GSAT 19. This is one of most important missions launched by ISRO ever, because it successfully lifted a payload mass of 3,136kg, the largest weight ever put by ISRO in outer space.
For the last few years, the Indian space programme is getting recognised as one of the most successful space programmes globally in recent times. However, Indian space capabilities for all these years were suffering from lack of a heavy satellite launch vehicle.
Now, with the success of GSLV Mark III, in the coming few years ISRO should be able to fully operationalise this new launch vehicle for heavy satellites.
Normally, communication and meteorological satellites belong to the category of heavy satellites. Such satellites are 4 to 6 tonne in weight and operate from geostationary orbit (36,000km above the earth’s surface).
Since, 1983 India has been launching communications satellites mainly under the programme famously known as Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system. Some of these satellites were multipurpose satellites too (they had meteorological payloads).
Today, India has nine operational communication satellites. Together, these satellites have more than 200 transponders in the C, Extended C and Ku-bands. These transponders are primarily used for television broadcasting and for providing various telecommunications services.
GSAT 19 is also a commutations satellite weighting 3,136kg, and is configured around ISRO’s standard I-3K bus. This satellite carries Ka/Ku-band high throughput communication transponders. In addition, it carries a geostationary radiation spectrometer (GRASP) payload for monitoring and studying the nature of charged particles and the influence of space radiation on satellites and their electronic components.
The success of GSLV III mission is significant for ISRO on various counts. First, it reduces/removes their dependence on outside agencies like the French company Ariane Space for launching of heavy satellites (four to six-tonne category) on commercial basis.
This would allow significant monitory savings and ISRO could use the same money for their various other programmes. Second, India took the help of Ariane Space during September 2013 for the launch of its first strategic satellite called GSAT-7 (being used by the Indian Navy), a multi-band military communications satellite, because GSLV Mark III was not ready by that time. Hence, ISRO was forced to look towards a foreign agency for launching a strategic payload.
Now, in the near future, ISRO would be able to launch the proposed satellites for the Indian Army and air force by using an indigenously developed launch vehicle. In short, the presence of a heavy satellite launch vehicle would also boost India’s strategic space programme.
Third, India undertook missions to the moon and Mars more as technology demonstrator missions. These missions had limited scientific aims owing to ISRO limitations to carry more weight and the missions were undertaken by PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle).
Naturally, owing to the capability of this rocket, only a limited number of payloads was carried onboard the moon and Mars missions to study these planets. But now, with a stronger rocket (GSLV), ISRO can develop major scientific goals for future missions to these planets.
Fourth, ISRO has already established itself as a reliable and cost-effective agency capable of launching satellites in the low earth orbit, weighing less than two tonne.
Now, in the coming years, with the maturing of the GSLV system, ISRO could be able to make inroads in the global commercial heavy satellite launch market.
Today, a good number of countries in the world can develop satellites and sensors. Many such efforts are collaborative efforts and are among two or more countries. However, mastering the art of rocket science remains a difficult proposal even today.
Hardly 11 countries in the world have developed such capabilities and they are able to launch satellites by using their indigenously built rocket systems. Among these countries only Russia, US (also private agency called Space X), China, Japan and the European Union can launch heavy satellites in the geostationary orbit.
Now, with the successful launch of GSAT 19 by using GSLV Mark III-D1, India has joined this club. In compression, with the earlier rockets developed by India (SLV, ASLV and PSLV), the GSLV is bigger in size and purpose (for launching heavy satellites) and hence fondly gets referred to as Fat Boy.
However, knowing the importance of GSLV for the future of India’s space programme and the type of role it is expected to play in the near future, this Fat Boy needs to be rechristened as a “Suitable Boy”!