GSLV Mark II

mayankkrishna

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ISRO's GSLV CUS – Is India On Cusp Of Making Space Exploration History? | Gizmodo India

ISRO's GSLV CUS – Is India On Cusp Of Making Space Exploration History?
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Jan 3, 2014, 02.50 PM IST
When the trumpets had just begun to blow for India's Mars Orbiter Mission, an odyssey where we could surpass China to become the first developing nation to launch its own Mars orbiter (China's Yinghuo 1 Mars orbiter hitched a ride on Russian craft Phobos Grunt which failed in earth orbit 2 years ago), a little after Independence Day in 2013, air was mounting with tense anticipation at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota (SDSC SHAR).

On August 19, 2013, countdown was on to launch the GSLV-D5 (Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle D5) to put the G-14 telecommunication satellite in orbit. It was India's and ISRO's second shot at mastering cryogenic upper stage (CUS) technology, the technological barrier to carrying payloads over 2500 kg with much higher fuel efficiencies. But, it never took off.

This time, it was due to a leak in the second stage of the propulsion which is the conventional liquid fuel stage. And now, on January 5, 2014, India will attempt its third attempt and second flight equipped with homemade Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) technology, the recipe for which has been nearly 20 years in the making.

Essentially, across the globe, in all rockets, the propulsion systems consist of multiple stages wherein each stage either consists of solid or liquid fuel or occasionally, only one type in all stages. However, CUS consists of liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidizer, which can provide upto 1.5 times the fuel efficiency (aka mileage) than run of the mill solid and liquid fuels. When liquid hydrogen/oxygen are mixed in right proportions at right temperature/pressure in a turbo pump and the mixture fed into a combustion chamber, exhaust gases of the burnt fuel leave at high speeds to propel the spacecraft ahead.

But why does CUS pose such headaches? Hydrogen liquefies at -253°C and oxygen at -183°C. Thus, conversion to liquid, storage and transport of both on earth require complex technologies and thereby expensive facilities. Similarly, in space, they require complicated thermal and structural systems to store, pump and ignite at the correct mixture ratio, temperature and pressure all run by engines, storage tanks, pumps and pressure stabilizing systems which need to work in sync.

Since space technologies are critical for national security, they have never been shared by nations who have mastered it. Thus, India is still grappling to master it. US crossed the CUS barrier in 1963 which led to development of the J2 engine used in Saturn V, the historic rocket that took man on moon in late 1960s. Japan had its first CUS flight in 1977, France in 1979 and China in 1984. Amazingly, former Soviet Union, the first to put a satellite, man and woman in space, flew a CUS equipped rocket only in 1987.

GSLV MkII (Mk2), the official name given to GSLV range equipped with indigenous CUS, will be the technology peak, once scaled, will give India the rocket to put man on moon, and will open up the massive communication satellite launch industry which grew 35% in 2012 w.r.t. 2011. ISRO's first ever attempt to launch an indigenous CUS based launcher was in April 2010 when the home grown CUS pump failed and the GSLV carrying a satellite drowned in the Bay of Bengal. Thus, the August 2013 failure for indigenous CUS based GSLV Mk2 has delayed ISRO's multiple proposed space missions, especially human spaceflight program.



India has made only 2 fully successful and one partial success out of 8 launches with GSLV, all with Russian acquired CUS. India inked a deal with Russia to buy 5 CUS units with the associated technology in early 1990s which never moved beyond paper. In 1992, US put sanctions on ISRO and Russian company Glavkosmos (which developed and managed CUS technology), since as per US, the deal violated the Missile Technology Control Regime. Russia backed out of the deal and instead gave India 7 CUS units but no technology was shared. India went ahead boldly to launch its own CUSP (Cryogenic Upper Stage Project) in April 1994.

Even the Russian supplied seven units had their share of issues with the thrust and efficiency. Thus, India kept going back to the drawing board to alter the critical components of the main cryogenic and 2 associated steering engines thereby making the engines compatible for the Russian CUS equipped GSLV flights.

India has gained critical expertise and knowledge in developing complicated systems and associated technology related to CUS which will be a game changer in maturing and diversifying our space technology asset base with unimaginable returns by launching heavy commercial satellites, robotic and human space missions.

Thus, indigenous CUS remains one of India's three greatest targeted technological milestones along with the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the holy grail of Indian nuclear power, the commercial operation of thorium based Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) (touted to provide safe nuclear power for around 300 years). If the January 4, 2014 flight crosses the finish line unscathed, we would have hit 2 of the big 3 with Tejas to be inducted into the air force soon (albeit 10 years late), leaving only the AHWR.

But before we feel euphoric, here's a reality check. China already has its Long March family of launch vehicles which has put 5500 kg in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) while rockets able to carry beyond 6000kg and even upto 14000kg are being developed. US already has its Delta IV and Atlas 5 family apart from Falcon Heavy, the under development heavy lift rocket by private firm SpaceX, touted to be the biggest counter punch to all government developed rockets till date. Humanity's odyssey to the stars is just taking its second step and January 4, 2014 might be a date to remember in India's cosmic history.
 

tramp

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While the focus is on the cryo stage, the satellite aboard is equally important and expensive too.. hope its placed safely on the orbit.
 

happy

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TODAY'S D-DAY
Isro readies GSLV-D5 with indigenous engine
Arun Ram TNN

Chennai: For the Indian Space Research Organisation, time would stand virtually still for some 17 minutes after the GSLV-D5 blasts off from Sriharikota at 4.18pm on Sunday. For, those will be the moments that deliver the result of its 20-year toil to launch a heavy rocket with an indigenous cryogenic engine.

The countdown began at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 11.18am on Saturday. The 49.13-metre rocket with a liftoff mass of 414.75 tonnes will carry to space the 1,982kg GSAT-14 communication satellite with applications in education and healthcare.

After using up six out of the seven cryogenic engines India had bought from Russia, Isro was forced to develop its own engine. In the past three years, which saw two failures – in April 2010 and December 2010 – and an abortion of the GSLV launch in August 2013, hundreds of Isro scientists spent thousands of hours doing tests and making alterations to components of the rocket. Sunday's performance would decide the fate of several of India's ambitious space programmes, including manned missions.

While India has mastered the PSLV range of rockets with a string of 25 consecutive successes, GSLV, which can carry heavier payloads, including humans, has remained a challenge. In April 2010, Isro tested its first indigenous cryogenic engine, but it failed less than a second after the cryogenic stage ignited. A refurbished GSLV-D5 was to be launched in August 2013, but a leak in the liquid fuel tank forced the mission to be aborted two hours before the rocket was to lift off.

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happy

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Pre-Launch Updates

Jan 05, 2014
Preparations for Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Cryo Stage is under progress

Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Strap Ons is completed

Jan 04, 2014
Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Strap Ons is under progress

Preparations for Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Strap Ons is under progress

GSLV-D5 Second Stage (GS2) Propellant filling operation is completed by 18:00hrs (IST)

GSLV-D5 Second Stage (GS2) Propellant filling operation is under progress

Preparations for GSLV-D5 Second Stage (GS2) Propellant filling operation commenced at 11:48 hrs (IST)

The 29 hour countdown started at 11:18 hrs (IST) and is in progress

Jan 03, 2014
29 hr countdown is set to commence on Jan 04, 2014 at 11:18 hrs (IST)

Dec 28, 2013
The Mission Readiness Review (MRR) team and the Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) have cleared the GSLV-D5/GSAT 14 launch at 16:18 hrs (IST) on Jan 05, 2014

The vehicle is moved from the vehicle assembly building to the umbilical tower (the launch pad) in the morning of Dec 28, 2013

A 29-hour countdown is set to commence on Jan 04, 2014 at around 11 hrs (IST)


Welcome To Indian Space Research Organisation - GSLV-D5/GSAT-14 Mission
 

anoop_mig25

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Best of luck ISRO

Fingers crossed .

By the way I wanted to ask a question , why did u people changed time of launches.

Earlier there where launches in morning .Now we have launches in evening.

IT was better in morning.We use to get good news
 

Abhi9

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LATEST UPDATE FROM THE LAUNCH PAD

Filling of Liquid Hydrogen (fuel) into the #cryogenic stage of #GSLV D5 has started
 

sayareakd

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Live Telecast from Doordarshan and Webcast of Launch will be
available on Jan 05, 2014 from 15:52 hours (IST) onwards
 

sayareakd

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Pre-Launch Updates

Jan 05, 2014
Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Cryo Stage is in progress. Chilling and filling of Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) into Cryo Stage is in progress

Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Cryo Stage has commenced at 11:42 hrs (IST). Chilling and filling of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) into Cryo Stage is in progress

Preparations for Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Cryo Stage is under progress

Propellant filling operation of GSLV-D5 Strap Ons is completed
 

Abhi9

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LATEST UPDATE FROM THE LAUNCH PAD

T minus one hour and counting.
Filling of Liquid Hydrogen (fuel) into the "ª#"Žcryogenic"¬ stage of "ª#"ŽGSLV"¬ D5 completed.
 

bose

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Best of luck ISRO, we badly need this to succeed...
 

A chauhan

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Re:

I have very horrible memories associated with MOM launch as my father expired after watching successful Mars launch on 5th Nov. I am getting somewhat superstitious but still watching the launch.

Btw whenever I watch such launches they become successful :cool2:

Best of luck to ISRO! :thumb:
 
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Shaitan

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live on YouTube
 
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happy

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1st stage seperated !! At the edge of my chair !!! Fully tense.
 

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