Isro sets third launch pad to moon mission

Nellore, Jan. 26: Indian Space Re-search Organisation (Isro) is all set to establish third launch pad at Satish Dha-wan Space Centre, Sriharikota, for space shuttle operations to facilitate man-ned mission to moon at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore.

Speaking to media persons on Tuesday, the Shar director, M. Chandra Dattan, said that works for launch pad are likely to begin within six months. He said, Isro has been planning five launches from Shar during 2010 beginning with GSLV-D3 powered by indigenous cryogenic stage built for the first time by Isro. The lau-nch will take place from the second launch pad in April.

It will be followed by PSLV-C15 from the first launch pad with in 25 days after launching GSLV-D3.

However the launch of GSLV D-13 is subject to clearance from the national level technical committee constituted to evaluate the reliability of indigenous cryogenic stage since the stakes are very high.

In case of PSLV-C15, it will have six satellites on board. They includes, Cartosat-2B, Alsat, a small satellite from Algeria, two nano satellites from the University of Toronto, and another nano-satellite, Studsat (Students’ satellite), built by several Indian Universities. An action plan is ready for three more launches during 2010 from Shar.

Referring to the successful experiment related to solid booster S 200 at Shar on Sunday, he said that the booster will form the strap-on stage for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV-Mk III).

Out of three stages of Mk III, the first stage will have four boosters among which two are solid propellant and other two liquid propellant. The liquid part of the first stage, L-110 will be tested in February at Isro’s Liquid Propulsion System Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Na-du. He said that GSLV -Mk III was designed to carry 4 ton class of communication satellite and the launch may take place before the end of 2011 if the ongoing experiments are successful.