Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

GSLV

A GSLV in the VAB before launch
Function	Medium Lift Launch System
Manufacturer	ISRO
Country of origin	India
Size
Height	49 metres (161 ft)
Diameter	2.8 metres (9 ft 2 in)
Mass	402,000 kilograms (890,000 lb)
Stages	3
Capacity
Payload to LEO	5000 kg
Payload to GTO	2,000 to 2,500 kilograms (4,400 to 5,500 lb)
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Satish Dhawan
Total launches	7 (6 Mk.I, 1 Mk.II)
Successes	2 (Mk.I)
Failures	4 (3 Mk.I, 1 Mk.II)
Partial failures	1 (Mk.I)
Maiden flight	Mk.I: 18 April 2001 Mk.II: 15 April 2010
Boosters (Stage 0)
No boosters	Four
Engines	1 L40H Vikas 2
Thrust	680 kilonewtons (150,000 lbf)
Total thrust	2,720 kilonewtons (610,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	262 sec
Burn time	160 seconds
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH
First Stage
Engines	1 S139
Thrust	4,700 kilonewtons (1,100,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	166 sec
Burn time	100 seconds
Fuel	HTPB (solid)
Second Stage
Engines	1 GS2 Vikas 4
Thrust	720 kilonewtons (160,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	295 s (2.89 kN·s/kg)
Burn time	150 seconds
Fuel	N2O4/UDMH
Third Stage (GSLV Mk.I) - 12KRB
Engines	1 KVD-1
Thrust	69 kilonewtons (16,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	460 s (4.5 kN·s/kg)
Burn time	720 seconds
Fuel	LOX/LH2
Third Stage (GSLV Mk.II) - CUS12
Engines	1 ICE[citation needed]
Thrust	73.5 kilonewtons (16,500 lbf)
Specific impulse	460 s (4.5 kN·s/kg)[citation needed]
Burn time	720 seconds[citation needed]
Fuel	LOX/LH2

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (usually known by its abbreviation, GSLV) is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was developed to enable India to launch its INSAT-type satellites into geostationary orbit and to make India less dependent on foreign rockets.

History

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) project was initiated in 1990 with the objective of acquiring launch capability for Geosynchronous satellites. Until then, India depended on the former Soviet Union for the launch of heavy satellites.

GSLV uses major components that are already proven in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launchers in the form of the S125/S139 solid booster and the liquid fueled rocket engine Vikas engine. The first development flight of GSLV Mk.I (GSLV-D1) was launched on 18 April 2001.

Vehicle description

The GSLV improved on the performance of the PSLV with the addition of liquid strap-on boosters and a cryogenic upper stage. It is a three-stage launch vehicle with the first stage being solid-propelled, the second liquid-propelled (with hypergolic fuels) and the final stage being liquid propelled as well (with cryogenic fuels). The solid first and liquid second stages are carried over from the PSLV. Early GSLV launches used cryogenic upper stages supplied by Russia. India originally tried to buy the technology to build a cryogenic upper stage from Russia, but under pressure from the United States, that technology was not provided. Therefore, ISRO developed the cryogenic engine used in the GSLV indigenously.

The GSLV can place approximately 5000 kg (11,000 lbm) into an easterly low Earth orbit. Using the Russian 12KRB upper stage, with KVD-1 cryogenic rocket engine, GSLV can place 2200 kg (4,850 lbm) into an 18 degree geostationary transfer orbit.

Liquid boosters

The GSLV uses four L40 liquid strap-on boosters derived from the L37.5 second stage, which are loaded with 40 tons of hypergolic propellants (UDMH & N₂O₄). The propellants are stored in tandem in two independent tanks 2.1 m diameter. The engine is pump-fed and generates 680 kN (150,000 lbf) of thrust.

First stage

S139 stage is 2.8 m in diameter and is made of M250 grade maraging steel and it has a nominal propellant loading of 139 t.^{[citation needed]}

Second stage

The second stage is powered by the Vikas engine. It has 2.8 m diameter and uses 37.5 metric tons of liquid propellants with UDMH as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N₂O₄) as oxidizer, in two aluminium alloy compartments separated by a common bulk head. It delivers 720 kN (160,000 lbf) of thrust.^{[citation needed]}

Third stage

CUS third stage of GSLV Mk.II D3

The third stage is propelled by a cryogenic rocket engine, 2.8 m in diameter and uses liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX) in two separate tanks of aluminium alloy interconnected by an inter-stage. Propellant loading is 12.5 t.^{[citation needed]}

The indigenous cryogenic engine was built in Tamil Nadu, at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendragiri near Nagercoil; on November 7, 2007 it was successfully tested for 720 seconds, its full flight duration, at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO's rocket engine test facility in Kerala.^{[citation needed]}

Variants

GSLV Mk.I (a)

Diagram of a GSLV

This variant had a 125 t (S-125) first stage and was capable of launching 1500 kg into geostationary transfer orbit.This is retired.^{[citation needed]}

GSLV Mk.I (b)

This variant had 139 t (S-139) first stage and improved fuel in the strap-on boosters & second stage. This variant can launch 1900 kg into geostationary transfer orbit.This is retired.^{[citation needed]}

GSLV Mk.I (c)

This variant has a 15 tonne Russian third stage. GSLV-F06 (flight 6) is the only attempted launch of the Mark I(c) version to date.

GSLV Mk.II

This variant uses an Indian cryogenic engine and is capable of launching 2500 kg into geostationary transfer orbit. Previous GSLV vehicles (GSLV Mk.I) have used Russian cryogenic engines.

GSLV Mk.III

Main article: GSLV_III

This rocket is the technological successor to the GSLV, however is not derived from its predecessor. It is intended to be able to launch 10,000 kg to low-earth-orbit.^{[citation needed]}

Launch history

All GSLV launches have been conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Flight	Launch date/time (UTC)	Variant	Launch Pad	Payload	Payload Mass	Result	Note(s)
D1	18 April 2001 10:13	Mk.I(a)	First	GSAT-1	1,540 kg	Failure	Developmental Flight, payload placed into lower than planned orbit, and did not have sufficient fuel to reach a usable orbit.
D2	8 May 2003 11:28	Mk.I(a)	First	GSAT-2	1,825 kg	Success	Developmental Flight
F01	20 September 2004 10:31	Mk.I(b)	First	EDUSAT	1,950 kg	Success	First operational flight
F02	10 July 2006 12:08	Mk.I(b)	Second	INSAT-4C	2,168 kg	Failure	Both rocket and satellite had to be destroyed over the Bay of Bengal after the rocket's trajectory veered outside of permitted limits.
F04	2 September 2007 12:51	Mk.I(b)	Second	INSAT-4CR	2,160 kg	Partial failure	Partial launch failure, apogee lower and inclination higher than expected, due to carrier rocket underperformance. Eventually the 2160 kg payload reached the designated geostationary transfer orbit. There were reports that the mission life of the satellite had decreased by five years as the thrusters had to burn this much fuel to restore the satellite to its correct orbit. However, the ISRO later refuted this claim dismissing it as false.
D3	15 April 2010 10:57	Mk.II	Second	GSAT-4	2,220 kg	Failure	First flight test of the ISRO designed and built Cryogenic Upper Stage. Failed to reach orbit due to malfunction of Fuel Booster Turbo Pump (FBTP) of the Cryogenic Upper Stage.
F06	25 December 2010 10:34	Mk.I (c)	Second	GSAT-5P	2,130 kg	Failure	First flight of GSLV Mk.I (c) Destroyed by range safety officer after loss of control of liquid fuelled boosters.
Planned launches
F05	2012	Mk.I(c)		GSAT-6			[citation needed]

Comparable rockets

• Ariane 4
• Delta II
• Falcon 9
• Long March 2
• Soyuz-U

See also

• GSLV-Mk III
• ISRO Orbital Vehicle
• Comparison of orbital launch systems

References

• Moscow Defense Brief

20 http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/gslv.htm

External links

• ISRO GSLV Page
• INDIA in Space - GSLV Page
• 12KRB (KVD-1) upper stage at Khrunichev Space Center
• Christmas turns bad for ISRO, GSLV mission fails.