Lunar Module Launch Vehicle
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is advancing its space capabilities with the development of its heaviest rocket, the Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV). Expected to be ready by 2035, this rocket will support lunar missions, including India’s first crewed Moon mission planned for 2040. The LMLV will carry up to 27 tonnes to the Moon and 80 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO). This marks leap in India’s space exploration ambitions.
Early Rocketry Efforts
Before ISRO’s formal establishment, India experimented with rockets. In 1963, the US Nike Apache sounding rocket was launched from Thumba. Sounding rockets reach the upper atmosphere but cannot enter orbit. ISRO’s first indigenous launch vehicle, the SLV-3, was developed under A P J Abdul Kalam’s leadership. Its maiden launch in 1979 failed, but the subsequent 1980 launch successfully placed the Rohini-1 satellite in orbit, making India the sixth space-faring nation.
Development of Launch Vehicles
The SLV-3’s limited payload led to the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), which added strap-on boosters to increase capacity. Despite initial failures, ASLV paved the way for more advanced rockets. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), first successfully launched in 1994, became ISRO’s reliable workhorse. With a payload capacity of 1,000 kg, it launched key missions like Chandrayaan-1 (2008) and Mangalyaan (2013).
PSLV Configurations and Impact
PSLV comes in three main variants – the generic version with six strap-ons, the core-alone (PSLV-CA) without strap-ons, and the most powerful PSLV-XL with extended strap-ons. This versatility has enabled ISRO to deploy diverse satellites for both India and international customers. PSLV also supported India’s entry into satellite navigation, vital for civilian and defence uses.
Advancements with GSLV and Cryogenic Engines
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) addressed PSLV’s payload limits by delivering heavier satellites to higher orbits. GSLV uses indigenous cryogenic engines, burning liquid hydrogen and oxygen, developed after the US denied technology transfer in the 1990s. The GSLV Mark-III (LVM-3), tested successfully in 2014, can place 4,000 kg in geostationary orbit. It launched GSAT-19 (2017), Chandrayaan-2 (2019), and Chandrayaan-3 (2023).
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