Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III

LVM3 (GSLV Mk III)^[1][2]

An artist's rendering of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III.
Function	Medium-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	Indian Space Research Organisation
Country of origin	India
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 LEO (600 km)	8,000 kg (18,000 lb)[1]
Payload to GTO	4,000 kg (8,800 lb)[1]
Launch history
Status	Development
Launch sites	Satish Dhawan Space Centre SLP, Andhra Pradesh, India
Total launches	1 (2 stage version)
Successes	1 (2 stage version)
First flight	18 December 2014 (2 stage version; sub-orbital flight)
Notable payloads	Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment
Boosters - S200
No. boosters	2
Length	25 m (82 ft)[1]
Diameter	3.2 m (10 ft)[1]
Propellant mass	207,000 kg (456,000 lb)[1]
Motor	Solid S200
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	443 sec
Burn time	586 sec
Fuel	LOX/LH2

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (Hindi: भूस्थिर उपग्रह प्रक्षेपण यान एमके-३; also called Launch Vehicle Mark 3 or LVM3 or GSLV-III)^[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]

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 stage 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] similar of that American Titan III and Titan IV booster.

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 engines, 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 was initially slated for completion and testing by 2015, it would have been the C25 stage and be put through a series of tests. ISRO crossed a major milestone in the development of CE-20 engine for the GSLV MKIII vehicle by the successful hot test for 640 seconds duration on 19.02.2016 at ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri. The test demonstrated the repeatability of the engine performance with all its sub systems like thrust chamber, gas generator, turbo pumps and control components for the full duration. All the engine parameters were closely matching with the pre-test prediction.

The first C25 stage will be used on the GSLV-III D-1 mission^[20] in December 2016.^[21] This mission will put in orbit the GSAT-19E communication satellite.^[22] 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

Flight	Launch date/time (UTC)	Variant	Launch Pad	Payload	Payload Mass	Result
X	18 December 2014 04:00[23]	LVM3-X	Second	Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE)	3,775 kg[24]	Success
	Sub-orbital development test flight[25][26][27] This flight carried a non functional version of the C25 upper stage to simulate its weight and attributes.[18][20] 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]
D1	January 2017 (planned)[21][28]	Mk III	Second	GSAT-19E	3,200 kg[20]
	For launching new generation GSAT weighing about 3.5t.[20][22][29] Will have a functional cryogenic stage.[20]
D2	January 2018 (planned)	Mk III	Second	GSAT-20

Future Improvement

There is a proposal to include the SCE-200^[30] in LVM-3 in order to boost its payload capacity to 6 tonnes to GTO.^[31]

Comparable rockets

• Angara A3
• Delta IV
• Falcon 9
• H-IIA
• Long March 3B
• Titan IIIC

See also

• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Comparison of orbital launch systems
• Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
• ISRO Orbital Vehicle
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

References

External links

• Bharat-Rakshak GSLV-III information
• New Scientist article including GSLV-III diagram

Indian space programme
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Organisations	Department of Space (DoS) Antrix Corporation Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) Physical Research Laboratory (DECU)
Programmes	Bhaskara GAGAN GSAT INSAT IRNSS IRS Cartosat RISAT Rohini SROSS Chandrayaan Human spaceflight programme Orbital Vehicle
Spacecraft	One-off missions APPLE Aditya Aryabhata Astrosat HAMSAT IMS-1 Megha-Tropiques NISAR SARAL SAARC Satellite SRE SRE II Kalpana-1 CARE Planetary missions Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-2 Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan 2 Venus orbiter mission
Rockets	Orbital SLV ASLV PSLV GSLV GSLV Mk.III Suborbital Rohini ATV Concepts ULV Under development RLV-TD
Facilities	Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) Master Control Facility (MCF) Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) ISRO Satellite Integration and Testing Establishment (ISITE)
See also	SAGA-220
List of Indian satellites List of Satish Dhawan Space Centre launches List of ISRO missions