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India’s GSLV Mk III rolls to launch pad
India’s new GSLV Mk III rocket rolls to the launch pad yesterday, 10 December 2014, ahead of a suborbital test flight on 18 December. The vehicle is being developed to provide heavy-lift access to space for India’s heaviest payloads, which currently have to fly on Europe’s Ariane V vehicle.
The test flight will analyze the new rocket’s performance in the atmosphere. A cryogenic third stage will power the GSLV Mk III on operational flights, however on this test the stage has not been included.
The sole payload for the test mission will be a boilerplate version of India’s crew vehicle. Capsule safety during reentry and recovery operations are the primary goals of flying the test spacecraft on the booster’s maiden flight.
GSLV Mk III is an improvement on India’s GSLV series, which is the country’s main booster for lofting payloads into geosynchronous transfer orbits. It features two strap on solid fuel rockets, a liquid fueled core stage and a cryogenic third stage.
The GSLV Mk III is the largest rocket ever developed by India. Once operational, it will be one of only four heavy-lift rockets in the world, which include America’s Delta IV Heavy, Europe’s Ariane V, and Russia’s Angara. Angara is scheduled to complete its maiden flight test by the end of 2014 as well.
Launch is scheduled for 18 December from the Satish Dahwan Space Center near Sriharikota, India.
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Once heavy lift capability is achieved the next step is usually manned space flight. I always bet that either India or Brazil would be the next nation to independently put a man in orbit but Brazil's program seems to have waned while India's is full speed ahead.
Good for them.
