ISRO’s Heaviest Rocket Launches Satellite, Paves Way for India’s Ambitious Human Spaceflight

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Nov. 14 successfully placed communication satellite GSAT-29 in the orbit. The satellite was sent onboard, by India’s heaviest rocket, Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III-D2), referred by ISRO scientists as ‘Baahubali,’ from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, off Andhra Pradesh.

According to NDTV, this is the 67th launch from Sriharikota and the GSAT-29 is the 33rd communications satellite made by India. The advanced communications satellite weighs as much as 3,423 kg and will help provide internet connectivity, especially in the remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir and north-eastern India, NDTV reported.

#ISROMissions

Mission Accomplished! 🇮🇳

Here's a stunning capture by SDSC SHAR crew of #GSLVMkIIID2 roaring away to its destination carrying #GSAT29 under the watchful eyes of Moon. The 1st operational mission of #GSLVMkIII will be #Chandrayaan-2.

Thank You for your support. pic.twitter.com/5PPjqzOoEl

— ISRO (@isro) November 14, 2018

Tapan Misra, Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said “Proud to say ISRO has given birth to a Bahubali,” PTI reported.

The satellite was carried by GSLV MkIII-D2, India’s heaviest, from the Second Launch Pad of SDSC SHAR at 17:08 hours (IST). About 17 minutes later, the vehicle injected the satellite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) as planned.

PV Venkita Krishnan, Director of ISRO Propulsion Complex said, “It has been written that this rocket is monstrous. But it really is a giant vehicle, in terms of capacity and payload capability,” adding it has more “swadeshi components” and “minimal” hardware from outside India, PTI noted.

According to an ISRO statement, GSAT-29 is a multiband, multi-beam communication satellite, intended to serve as a testbed for several new and critical technologies. Its Ku-band and Ka-band payloads are configured to cater to the communication requirements of users including those from remote areas especially from Jammu & Kashmir and North-Eastern regions of India.

Moreover, it has Geo High Resolution Camera, which will carry out high-resolution imaging. Optical Communication Payload will demonstrate data transmission at a very high rate through an optical communication link.

After the historical launch, ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan said: “India has achieved a significant milestone with our heaviest launcher lifting off the heaviest satellite from the Indian soil. The launch vehicle has precisely placed the satellite in its intended orbit. I congratulate entire ISRO team for this achievement.”

After declaring GSLV MKIII operational, Dr. Sivan also announced that this rocket will be used for Chandrayaan-2, India’s second moon mission and Gaganyaan, India’s first attempt to send a man to space.

K Pankaj Damodar, Project Director, GSAT-29 is off the opinion that this launch will play an instrumental role in bridging the digital divide. He also said several next-generation payload technologies will be demonstrated with this mission soon.

Jayakumar B, Mission Director, GSLV Mark III said it is the guidance of the Mentors at ISRO that helped the team to march ahead while facing obstacles. “The industry partners too played a key role in this mission,” he said.