ISRO successfully launched GSLV-D5 carrying indeginously developed cryogenic engine from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 4.18 Sunday evening.
All the three stages of separation of the GSLV took place as per the schedule and planning.
GSAT 14 was put in the intended orbit 17 minutes after GSLV D5 took off from the second launch pad at Sriharikota.
With the successful launch of GSAT-14 in geosynchronous transfer orbit, ISRO has joined the select league of space faring nations possessing cryogenic rocket engine technology.
Today's launch provided Scientists of the Indian space agency the proud moment by successfully testing the cryogenic upper stage engine.
Chairman ISRO Radhakrishnan said that this was a historic day for the scientific community in India. Noting that 20 years of efforts in realising and understanding the cryogenic technology, Radhakrishnan said that all the efforts had finally yielded the best of results with the launch of GSLV D5.
Director of Vikram Sarabhai space Centre, Ramakrishnan said that it was a real great challenge to realise and master the cryogenic technology.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was to launch this rocket last August but aborted it just hours before the deadline as the fuel started leaking from its second stage or engine.
President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday hailed the successful launch of GSLV D5 satellite as an important step in the area of science and technology and congratulated the ISRO scientists for the feat.
President Mukherjee said that the launch of GSLV-D5 marks an important step in taking India’s capabilities in the field of rocket launches to new heights through the mastery of the cryogenic technology.
Ansari said that with this launch using the indigenous cryogenic engine, India has joined a select group of countries.
Dr. Singh, while congratulating the scientists, said the launch marked another important step that the country has taken in the area of science and technology.
