More than three years after the heart-breaking
failure of flight testing of the indigenous
cryogenic stage in GSLV -D3 mission, Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO ) announced
today it's ready to undertake the high-stakes
venture again on August 19.
A national team of experts today gave the go-
ahead to ISRO after the Bangalore-
headquartered space agency presented it the
preparations that it had made after
rectifications and qualifications. The team
included U R Rao and Roddam Narasimha and
academics associated with ISRO's rocket
programme.
"The moment we are talking about is August
19 as a tentative schedule and the time is
around 5 PM," ISRO Chairman K
Radhakrishnan said here. "Vehicle (GSLV or
rocket) is already assembled and we have done
electrical checks on the vehicle," he said.
"We have done nearly 35 ground tests since
we had the April 2010 failure, on sub-systems,
on the engine and on a similar engine in high
altitude conditions." ISRO designed and
developed some components itself and not
sourced from outside. GSLV-D5 is now slated
for launch, with GSAT-14 satellite onboard
from the Sriharikota spaceport.
India's other operational rocket, PSLV , has
limitations up to what mass it can handle,
making the success of GSLV with indigenous
cryogenic engine extremely important as this
rocket can carry heavier communication
satellites to a much higher orbit. "Cryogenic
route has to be there for the future of the
larger communication satellites,"
Radhakrishnan, also Secretary in the
Department of Space, explained, noting that
ISRO took up indigenous cryogenic engine
programme in 1992.
It was noted that 50 per cent of velocity is
provided by the upper cryogenic stage. He
said, the August 19 mission is technically and
emotionally important as the previous venture
was a failure. "We have to see through. Stakes
are very high, seriousness is very high. Entire
organisation feels for it. For the last three
years, we have been at it."
The failure analysis committee concluded after
the unsuccessful April 15, 2010, mission that
the thrust build up did not progress as
expected due to non-availability of liquid
hydrogen supply to the thrust chamber of the
main engine. This failure was attributed to the
anomalous stopping of Fuel Booster Turbo
Pump (FBTP).
In the last three years, ISRO conducted
extensive failure analysis studies and reviews.
Cryo stage FBTP was modified as per GSLV-D3
failure analysis committee recommendations
and qualification tests carried out, ISRO
officials said.
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