GSLV

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is capable of placing 2.3 ton class of satellites like the INSAT & GSAT communication satellites and INRSS & IDRSS series of spacecrafts into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). GSLV is 51.7 m tall and tallest among all other vehicles of ISRO. It is a three stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 420 ton. The first stage comprises of S139 solid booster with 138 ton propellant and four liquid strap-on L40 motors,with 40 ton propellant. The second stage (GS2-GL40) is a liquid engine carrying 40 ton of liquid propellant. The third stage is the indigenously built Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) carrying 15 ton of cryogenic propellants (Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) as fuel and Liquid Oxygen (LOX) as Oxidiser).

Cryogenic Upper Stage

The Cryogenic Upper stage employs the vital technology that enhances the payload capability to make the vehicle suitable for launching communication satellites. India is the sixth among the space faring countries to develop and test this technology, which is challenging considering the special materials, alloys and fabrication processes required. Equally challenging was the facilities established for testing the ignition and operation of the engine, particularly under vacuum conditions. On 5th January 2014 witnessed the marvelous success of the fifth developmental flight of GSLV with indigenously developed cryogenic stage(CUS-05) from Sriharikota successfully placed the GSAT-14 satellite, weighing 1982 kg, in a precise Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit. This was followed by the successful missions given in the launch history.