Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk

III
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GSLV - Mk III (LVM3)[1][2]
Function Mid-Heavy lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer Indian Space Research Organisation
Country of
India
origin
Size
Height 43.43 m (142.5 ft)[1]
Diameter 4.0 m (13.1 ft)
Mass 640,000 kg (1,410,000 lb)[1]
Stages 3
Capacity
Payload to
8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[1]
LEO (600 km)
Payload to
4,000 kg (8,800 lb)[1]
GTO
Launch history
Status Development
Satish Dhawan Space Centre SLP, Andhra
Launch sites
Pradesh, India
Total launches 1 (2 stage version)
Successes 1 (2 stage version)
18 December 2014 (2 stage version; sub-
First flight
orbital flight)
Booster Stage - S200
Length 25 m (82 ft)[1]
Diameter 3.2 m (10 ft)[1]
Propellant mass 207,000 kg (456,000 lb)[1]
Engines 2 Solid
Thrust 5,150 kN (525 tf) each[3][4][5]
Specific impulse 274.5 (vacuum)[1]
Burn time 130 sec[1]
Fuel HTPB[1]
Core Stage - L110
Length 17 m (56 ft)[1]
Diameter 4.0 m (13.1 ft)[1]
Propellant mass 110,000 kg (240,000 lb)[1]
Engines 2 Vikas engines
Thrust 1,598 kN (163.0 tf)[1][6][7]
Specific impulse 293 sec[1]
Burn time 200 sec[1]
Fuel UDMH/N2O4
Upper Stage - C25
 Length 13.5 m (44 ft)[1]
Diameter 4.0 m (13.1 ft)[1]
Propellant mass 27,000 kg (60,000 lb)[1]
Engines 1 CE-20
Thrust 200 kN (20 tf)[1]
Specific impulse 450 sec
Fuel LOX/LH2

The GSLV-III or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (Hindi: भूस्थिर उपग्रह
प्रक्षेपण यान एमके-३; also called LVM3)[2] is a launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO).

It is intended to launch satellites into geostationary orbit and as a launcher for an Indian crew
vehicle. The GSLV-III features an Indian cryogenic third stage and a higher payload capacity
than the current GSLV.[8][9]

Contents
 1 History
o 1.1 S200 static test
o 1.2 L110 static test
o 1.3 Suborbital flight test
 2 Vehicle description
o 2.1 Stage 1 – solid boosters
o 2.2 Stage 2 – liquid motor
o 2.3 Stage 3 – cryogenic upper stage
o 2.4 Payload fairing
 3 Launches
 4 Future Improvement
 5 Comparable rockets
 6 See also
 7 References
 8 External links

History
Development for the GSLV-III began in the early 2000s, with the first launch planned for 2009-
2010.[10] Several factors have delayed the program, including the 15 April 2010 failure of the
ISRO-developed cryogenic upper stage on the GSLV Mk II.[10]

A suborbital flight test of the GSLV-III launcher, with a passive cryogenic third stage, was
successfully carried out on 18 December 2014, and was used to test a crew module on a
suborbital trajectory.[11] The first orbital flight is planned to take place in 2017.[12] The first flight
with a crew on board would take place after 2020.[10]
S200 static test

The S-200 solid rocket booster was successfully tested on 24 January 2010. The booster fired for
130 seconds and generated a peak thrust of about 500 tonnes. Nearly 600 ballistic and safety
parameters were monitored during the test and indicated normal performance. A second
successful static test was conducted on 4 September 2011.[4]

L110 static test

The Indian Space Research Organisation conducted the first static test of the L110 core stage at
its Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) test facility at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu on 5
March 2010. Originally targeted for a full 200 second burn, the test was terminated at 150
seconds after a leakage in a control system was detected.[13] On 8 September 2010 ISRO
successfully conducted a full 200 second test.[14]

Suborbital flight test

The GSLV LVM-3 lifted off from the second launch pad, Sriharikota, at 9.30 am IST on 18
December 2014. The 630.5 tonne launch vehicle stacking was as follows : a functional S200
solid propulsion stage, a functional L110 liquid propulsion stage, a non-functional dummy stage
(in lieu of CE-20 cryogenic propulsion engine) and finally the 3.7-tonne Crew Module
Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) payload stage. Just over five minutes into the flight,
the rocket ejected CARE at an altitude of 126 km. CARE then descended at high speed,
controlled by its onboard motors. At an altitude of 80 km, the thrusters were shut down and the
capsule began its ballistic re-entry into the atmosphere. CARE’s heat shield was expected to
experience a temperature of around 1600 °C. ISRO downloaded launch telemetry during the
ballistic coasting phase prior to the radio black-out to avoid data loss in the event of a splash-
down failure. At an altitude of around 15 km, the module’s apex cover separated and the
parachutes were deployed. CARE splashed down in the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands[15][16][17]

Vehicle description
Stage 1 – solid boosters

The GSLV-III uses S200 solid motors. Each booster has a diameter of 3.2 metres, a length of 25
metres, and carries 207 tonnes of propellant. These boosters burn for 130 seconds and produce a
peak thrust of about 5,150 kilonewtons (525 tf) each.[3]

A separate facility has been established at Sriharikota to make the S200 boosters. Another major
feature is that the S200’s large nozzle has been equipped with a ‘flex seal.’ The nozzle can
therefore be gimballed when the rocket’s orientation needs correction.[18]

In flight, as the thrust from the S200 boosters begins to tail off, the decline in acceleration is
sensed by the rocket’s onboard sensors and the twin Vikas engines on the ‘L110’ liquid
propellant core stage are then ignited. Before the S200s separate and fall away from the rocket,
the solid boosters as well as the Vikas engines operate together for a short period of time.[18]

Stage 2 – liquid motor

The core stage, designated L110, is a 4-meter-diameter liquid-fueled stage carrying 110 tonnes
of UDMH and N2O4. It is the first Indian liquid-engine cluster design, and uses two improved
Vikas (rocket engine)s, each producing about 700 kilonewtons (70 tf).[6][7] The improved Vikas
engine uses regenerative cooling, providing improved weight and specific impulse, compared to
earlier rockets.[19] The L110 core stage ignites 113 seconds after liftoff and burns for about 200
seconds.[7]

Stage 3 – cryogenic upper stage

The cryogenic upper stage is designated the C25 and will be powered by the Indian-developed
CE-20 engine burning LOX and LH2, producing 186 kilonewtons (19.0 tf) of thrust. The C-25
will be 4 metres (13 ft) in diameter and 13.5 metres (44 ft) long, and contain 27 tonnes of
propellant.[19]

This engine is slated for completion and testing by 2015, it will then be integrated with the C25
stage and be put through a series of tests. The first C25 stage will be used on the GSLV-III D-1
mission in early 2017. This mission will put in orbit the GSAT-19E communication satellite.[20]
Work on the C25 stage and CE-20 engine for GSLV Mk-III upper stage was initiated in 2003,
the project has been subject to many delays due to problems with ISRO's smaller cryogenic
engine, the CE-7.5 for GSLV MK-II upper stage.

Payload fairing

The payload fairing has a diameter of 5 metres (16 ft) and a payload volume of 110 cubic metres
(3,900 cu ft).[1]

Launches
Launch
Launch Payload
Flight date/time Variant Payload Result Note(s)
Pad Mass
(UTC)
X 18 December LVM3- Second Crew Module 3,775 kg[22] Success Sub-orbital
2014 X Atmospheric development test
04:00[21] Re-entry flight[23][24][25]
Experiment This flight carried a
(CARE) non functional version
of the C25 upper
stage to simulate its
weight and attributes.
[18][26]
 The launch of LVM3
vehicle on 18
December was
successful, with both
the launch vehicle and
the CARE module
meeting the
parameters of the
mission.[2]
For launching new
generation GSAT
December
weighing about 3.5t.
D1 2016 Mk III Second GSAT-19E 3,500 kg[26] [20][26][28]
[27]
(planned)
Will have a functional
cryogenic stage.[26]

Future Improvement
There is a proposal to include the Indigenous semi-cryogenic engine[29] to LVM-3 in order to
boost its payload capacity to 6 tonnes to GTO.[30]

Comparable rockets
 Angara A3
 Ariane 5
 Atlas V
 Delta IV
 Falcon 9
 H-IIA
 Long March 3B
 Titan IIIC

See also
Spaceflight portal
India portal

 Comparison of orbital launchers families

 Comparison of orbital launch systems
 Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
 ISRO Orbital Vehicle
 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle