GSLV-F05 launch successful, injects INSAT-3DR in precise orbit

After the 29-hour countdown, the 49.1 m tall home grown rocket, with a lift off mass of 415.2 tonnes, took off majestically from the Second Launch Pad at 16:50 hrs, much to the delight of the Scientists as GSLV-F05 injected the satellite, which has a mission life of ten years, in the desired orbit after a flight  duration of about 18 minutes.

This is the heaviest satellite launched from the Indian Soil by ISRO so far.

The ignition and separation of all the three stages were normal and the satellite was injected into the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) with  a perigee of 170 km and an apogee of 35,975 km with an inclination of 20.61 degrees to the equator.

Jubilant scenes were witnessed at the Mission Control Centre as the scientists were sharing their joy by hugging and shaking hands with ISRO  Chairman A S Kiran Kumar.

The success of the mission was all the more significant as it has once again proved that India has mastered the complex cryogenic technology.

It would also provide a major boost to future GSLV missions to launch satellites weighing two to 2.2 tonnes using India's own cryogenic engine.

A jubilant Mr Kiran Kumar, addressing the scientists at the Misson Control Centre, said the mission was successful and the GSLV, with this third successive' successful mission, has truly proved that it was the operational vehicle for ISRO, with the Make in India Cryogenic stage.

This was the third successive successful GSLV mission for ISRO. 

The last two successive successful missions were in January 2014 and in August 2015 after which the Indian Space agency had announced that the the GSLV has shed the developmental tag and it has got the operational tag.

With these launches, India joined five space faring nations - US, Russia, UK, China, Japan and France - in mastering the complex cryogenic stage. 

This was the 10th flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle and the first operational flight carrying the indigenous CUS. 

After reaching the GTO, INSAT-3DR would use its own propulsion system to reach its final geosynchronous orbital home and would be stationed at 74 degrees East longitude. 

INSAT-3DR will provide a variety of meteorological services to the country. 

The sources said this was for the fourth time GSLV carried the indigenous CUS on-board. 

GSLV-F05 flight was significant since it was the first operational flight of GSLV carrying the indigenous CUS. 

The GSLV-F05 vehicle was configured with all its three stages, including the CUS, similar to the ones successfully flown during the previous GSLV-D5 and D6 missions in January 2014 and August 2015. 

GSLV-D5 and D6 successfully placed GSAT-14 and GSAT-6 satellites respectively in the intended GTOs very accurately. 

The INSAT-3DR was an advanced meteorological satellite configured with an imaging system and an atmospheric sounder.

The significant improvements incorporated in INSAT-3D compared to the earlier meteorological missions were part of INSAT-3DR also. 

This included imaging in middle infrared band to provide night time pictures of low clouds and fog, imaging in two thermal infrared bands for estimation of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) with better accuracy and higher spatial resolution in the visible and thermal infrared bands.

Like its predecessor, INSAT-3DR carried a Data Relay Transponder (DRT) as well as a Search and Rescue Transponder (SRT). 

"Hence INSAT-3DR will provide service continuity to earlier meterological missions of ISRO and further augment the capability to provide various meterological as well as  search and rescue services.

The DRT would be used for receiving meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data from remote uninhabitated locations over the coverage area from Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) like Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) and Agro Met Stations (AMS).

The data was relayed back for downlinking in extended C-Band.

"For extreme weather related disasters such as cyclone, floods and drought, real time observations of the associated parameters with appropriate network density is very important", the ISRO said, adding, the Satellite enabled Data Collection Platforms (DCPs) provide a unique solution for gathering meteorological data from all over the country, including remote and inaccessible places.

The Indian Meterological Department and the ISRO have established more than 3,000 DCPs.

The Satellite-aided SRT payload (operating in 406.05 MHz) that picks up and relays the alert signals originating from the distress beacons of maritime, aviation and land based users to the Indian Mission Control Centre located at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bangalore.

The major users of this service in India were the Coast Guard, Airports Authority of India, Directorate General of Shipping, Defence services and fishermen.

The Indian service region includes a large part of the Indian Ocean region covering India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania for rendering distress alert services.