GSLV Mk III, ‘Crew module Atmospheric Re- entry Experiment' (CARE) - ISRO

Tomorrow, 18^th Dec 2014 is going to be a Great Day for the Nation.  Nation for sure would rejoice the launch of GSLV Mk-III.

Today, the 24 and a half hour countdown for the mission has commenced at 09:00 hrs (IST).  The GSLV Mk-III is first experimental suborbital flight of India's latest generation Launch Vehicle and would carry Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE).  Ahead of the country’s maiden experimental launch of latest generation vehicle GSLV Mk III, which would carry out the ‘Crew module Atmospheric Re- entry Experiment (CARE) on a suborbital mission on December 18, ISRO successfully carried out a rehearsal on Monday. “The nine hour 30 minutes launch rehearsal of ISRO LVM3 has just been successfully completed,” ISRO said in its social networking site.

photo credit : isro.org

The GSLV-III or Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III is a launch vehicle under development by the Indian Space Research Organisation. It is intended to launch satellites into geostationary orbit and as a launcher for an Indian crew vehicle. The GSLV MK-3 will feature an Indian cryogenic third stage and a higher payload capacity than the current GSLV.  Though called a crew module, it will not carry any living being and is being sent up only to test its re-entry characteristics. The 630-tonne rocket will be powered by liquid and solid fuel engines while the cryogenic stage/ engine will be a passive one.

During the countdown, the rocket's liquid fuel engine will be fuelled up and the passive cryogenic engine at the top will be filled with liquid nitrogen for mass simulation, Prasad said.  The actual cryogenic engine to power the rocket carrying an around four tonne satellite is under development and is expected to be ready in two years time. As the other rocket engines are ready, ISRO decided to have this mission.

The experimental mission will cost Rs. 155 crores and will not carry any satellite as the cryogenic engine needed for the purpose is under development,  ISRO spokesperson reiterated. The main objective of the crew module is to demonstrate its re-entry flight and aero-braking; end-to-end parachute system validation. The rocket will go up to 126km and then the crew capsule will be detached and it will fall into the Bay of Bengal, 20 minutes after blast off. The descent speed of the crew module will be controlled by onboard motors for some distance and then by three parachutes.

The module will splash down 600km from Port Blair and 1,600km from the space centre. The capsule will be recovered by an Indian Coast Guard or Indian Navy ship. The crew module, looking like a giant-size cup cake - black in colour on top and brown at the bottom - weighs around four tonnes. According to an Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) official, it will be in the size of a small bedroom and can accommodate 2-3 people.

It is stated that "The crew module after being recovered from the sea will first be taken to the Ennore Port (near Chennai) and from there it will be brought to Sriharikota. From Sriharikota the module will be taken to VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre-Thiruvananthapuram)."  Look forward to great moments for the Nation and advancement in every field.  Hamara Bharat Mahan hein.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

17^th Dec 2014.