Friday, January 10, 2014

GSLV-Mk3 + Crew Capsule, GSLV-Mk2



The planned April 2014 maiden flight of the GSLV-Mk3 will carry the Indian crew capsule:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Isro-inches-closer-to-manned-mission/articleshow/28609291.cms

The non-readiness of the CE-20 cryogenic engine means that this will only be a sub-orbital jump, and so it's meant to provide an aerodynamic test of the Mk3, but will also test the performance of the crew capsule on atmospheric re-entry. With this, the dawn of India's Human Spaceflight Program will be getting underway.


ISRO will also launch the next developmental test flight of the GSLV-Mk2 in July or August of this year. This mission is designated as GSLV-D6 and will carry the GSAT-6 communications satellite into orbit:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/GSLV-D5-Twin-may-be-Launched-This-Year/2014/01/10/article1992628.ece
The ISRO hopes to launch the ‘twin’ - GSLV-D6 - by July or August this year, ISRO officials said.
“The GSLV-D6 mission will ditto the GSLV-D5 which was used for the January 5 launch. It will build our confidence in the technology,” M C Dathan, director of ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), told ‘Express’.
The home-made cryogenic engine, which will power the upper stage of GSLV-D6, is “three-fourths” ready. Tests are currently underway on it, he said.

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