Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO achieved another milestone today as it successfully launched the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle or GSLV-D5 from the space port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The advanced GSAT-14 communications satellite that GSLV-D5 is carrying has also been separated from the rocket. If launched into orbit successfully, the Rs. 350-crore mission will mark India's entry into the multi-billion dollar commercial launcher market on a fully indigenous large rocket. An India-made cryogenic engine powers the GSLV-D5, which stands almost 50 meters tall (as high as a 17-storey building) and weighs a whopping 415 tons (as much 80 full grown elephants). "I am happy to say that Team ISRO has done it," ISRO chief Dr K Radhakrishnan said after what was called a make-or-break launch owing to two failures earlier. The GSLV program had suffered twin back-to-back failures three years ago and its last launch in August was aborted minutes before lift-off. On August 19, 2013, a major mishap was averted and the launch of the GSLV was aborted 74 minutes before lift-off after ISRO scientists found that about 750 kilograms of highly inflammable and explosive fuel had leaked out in the second stage. Source: Article
