Rocketing to success

The successful launch of an experimental unmanned crew module by India’s largest rocket is a significant achievement for the country. The former is the first step towards sending astronauts into space, and the latter is the workhorse that will be needed to do so. Both need working on, but their launch is a major milestone in the nation’s quest for manned space missions. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III rocket’s solid and liquid stages worked as expected, hurling the 630-tonnes rocket into the space with tremendous precision. It ejected the crew module as scheduled, which landed in the designated area of the Bay of Bengal.
ISRO has reason to celebrate the success of its new launch vehicle. However, even as it is a step forward, it will only reach its full capability once the cryogenic state is ready. India has made significant advances in handling smaller cryogenic engines and ISRO says that it will have the large cryogenic engine needed for the rocket ready in about two years. Concurrently, work will also be done on developing the crew module further. The platform that GSLV Mark III provides is vital for the nation. It can be used to loft much heavier satellites further into orbit than anything the country has at the moment. Therefore, it has domestic applications and can also be commercially viable when it is used to place foreign satellites into the orbit.
ISRO is a fine example of what ‘Make in India’ can achieve. Over the years, its scientists have received unstinted government support and they have done the nation proud time and again. ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan and his team have every reason to be satisfied with the latest launch, even as they prepare for the challenges ahead. ISRO has other milestones to cross, and it will take at least a decade before we see any Indian astronauts in space. The spinoffs from the indigenous development of the space programme are tremendous, and each new launch presents fresh opportunities.