Countdown for India's ambitious rocket mission begins

Sriharikota (AP), Apr 14 (PTI) The 29-hour countdown for
Thursday's launch of a homegrown rocket GSLV-D3 powered for
the first time by indigenous cryogenic technology ticked
Wednesday without any hitches and a successful mission will
put India in an elite five-nation group.
Nearly 18 years after Indian scientists began working to
develop the complex cryogenic engines, it will be for the
first time that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will
be flight-testing the strategic technology, which is crucial
to put communication satellites weighing more than two tonnes
into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Geosynchronous orbit
is 36,000 km above earth.
The 29-hour countdown began at 11.27 am and "things were
progressing as per countdown", an ISRO spokesperson said.
The 50-metre tall GSLV-D3 with the country's latest
communication satellite GSAT-4 on board is scheduled to
blast off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 4.27 pm
Thursday. The 2,220 kgs GSAT-4 satellite has a seven-year
mission life.
It took nearly two decades for Indian scientists to go
in for a home-made cryogenic technology after its bid to
acquire cryogenic propellant from Russia in 1992 failed in the
face of US opposition. US, Russia, Japan, France and China are
the only countries to have developed this complex technology.
The development of the cryogenic technology did not
materialise for long due to strong US opposition and
"technology denial regime of big powers", Director of Satish
Dhawan Space Centre M C Dathan said.
"Often in the past, we have purchased completed
cryogenic engines from Russia and five of them had been used
for our GSLV missions. But we felt that it was important to
develop indigenous capability as cryogenic technology is
crucial to take our space programme to new heights," he said.
"It was a 'milestone' for Indian space programme in many
ways and proved 'our capabilities and reflects our scientists'
determination to take up any challenge," he said.
Apart from the first time use of ‘made in India’
cryogenic technology, the launch also involve one of the
heaviest satellites ever put in space by Indian satellite
launch vehicles.
The successful launch of the GSAT-4 will elevate India’s
growing status as a space faring nation putting it in the
league of a handful of nations that can launch satellites
weighing above two tonnes in the geo synchronous orbit. PTI