The launch of the rocket GSLV Mk III on Monday from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota is significant for several reasons. But first, some numbers: Since the launch of its first sounding rocket in November 21, 1963, this was India’s 90th spacecraft mission. Aryabhata, India’s first satellite, was launched in April 1975. Since 1983, India has launched several communications satellites using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
This is used to deliver satellites not weighing more than two tonnes, to Low Earth Orbits (600-900 km above the earth’s surface). Today, India has nine operational communication satellites mainly used for television and telecommunication services.
Using these PSLVs, India has so far launched 180 foreign satellites from 23 nations. However, communications and meteorological satellites are much heavier (between 4 to 6 tonnes) and operate from a geostationary orbit 36,000 km above the earth’s surface. But India lacked a launch vehicle powerful enough to do that. Even missions to the moon and Mars were seen more as technology demonstrators with limited scientific aims because of the weight and range restrictions imposed by the PSLVs. In 2013, India had to seek the French company Arianespace’s help to launch GSAT-7, a military communications satellite used by the Indian Navy.
With the successful launch of the GLSV on Monday, India no longer needs to depend on foreign launchers for heavy satellites thus saving money and can in fact earn from the global commercial heavy satellite launch market. While many nations across the world can develop satellites and sensors, only 11 nations have rockets capable of launching them. Of these, only Russia, US, China, Japan, the European Union and Elon Musk’s SpaceX can launch heavy satellites in the geostationary orbit. Now India has joined that club, and one can safely predict that India will soon be a major player in space, the final frontier.