India's advanced weather satellite INSAT 3DR is set to be launched by the national space agency ISRO this evening on board the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV F05. <br/><br/>The 2.5 ton class launch vehicle equipped with indigenous cryogenic upper stage carrying the satellite will lift off at 4.50 pm from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta. <br/><br/>Earlier the lift off time was announced as 4.10 pm, but was delayed for 40 minutes owing to delay in filling up of liquid fuel in second stage of the rocket.<br/><br/>For the GSLV rocket, this is going to be the tenth mission overall. Its lift off mass would be 415.2 tonnes and the satellite weight would be 2,211 kilogram. The two previous experimental flights of the GSLV Mark-Two class rockets with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage have been successful.<br/><br/>The satellite INSAT 3DR is to provide valuable meteorological data to different user agencies including the Indian Meteorological Department, the Coast Guard, shipping and civil aviation departments. The imagers and sounders in the satellite will provide information on estimated rainfall, sea and land surface temperature, humidity, cloud cover, snow and fog condition at different altitudes in the atmosphere. <br/><br/>Its data relay transponders will be able to receive from automatic weather stations even from uninhabited remote places. Its another transponder is dedicated for providing timely information on search and rescue mission for people involved in the task on the ground or on the sea by picking up signals from emergency beacons. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that India's quest for developing its own cryogenic engine that involves highly complex technologies began almost 30 years back. After crossing many turbulent years and hurdles, the GSLV F05 equipped with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage is about to have its first operational flight today. This year, this is the first flight for the 2.5 ton class GSLV rocket by the ISRO. <br/><br/>The INSAT 3DR satellite it carries is set to maintain continuity of its predecessors including the INSAT 3A, 3D and Kalpana-1, which are ageing, though still operational. Its mission life is about ten years. The scientists are now busy giving finishing touches to the countdown process for the crucial launch.

The ISRO will launch India's advanced weather satellite INSAT 3DR this evening on board the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV F05. The 2.5 tonne class launch vehicle equipped with indigenous cryogenic upper stage carrying the satellite will lift off at 4.10 pm from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta. <br/><br/>For the GSLV rocket, this is going to be the tenth mission overall. Its lift off mass would be 415.2 tonnes and the satellite weight would be 2,211 kilogram. The two previous experimental flights of the GSLV Mark-Two class rockets with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage have been successful.<br/><br/>The satellite INSAT 3DR is to provide valuable meteorological data to different user agencies including the Indian Meteorological Department, the Coast Guard, shipping and civil aviation departments. The imagers and sounders in the satellite will provide information on estimated rainfall, sea and land surface temperature, humidity, cloud cover, snow and fog condition at different altitudes in the atmosphere. <br/><br/>Its data relay transponders will be able to receive from automatic weather stations even from uninhabited remote places. Its another transponder is dedicated for providing timely information on search and rescue mission for people involved in the task on the ground or on the sea by picking up signals from emergency beacons. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that India's quest for developing its own cryogenic engine that involves highly complex technologies began almost 30 years back. After crossing many turbulent years and hurdles, the GSLV F05 equipped with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage is about to have its first operational flight today. This year, this is the first flight for the 2.5 ton class GSLV rocket by the ISRO. The INSAT 3DR satellite it carries is set to maintain continuity of its predecessors including the INSAT 3A, 3D and Kalpana-1, which are ageing, though still operational. Its mission life is about ten years. The scientists are now busy giving finishing touches to the countdown process for the crucial launch.

The ISRO will launch India's advanced weather satellite INSAT 3DR this evening on board the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV F05. The 2.5 tonne class launch vehicle equipped with indigenous cryogenic upper stage carrying the satellite will lift off at 4.10 pm from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikotta. <br/><br/>For the GSLV rocket, this is going to be the tenth mission overall. Its lift off mass would be 415.2 tonnes and the satellite weight would be 2,211 kilogram. The two previous experimental flights of the GSLV Mark-Two class rockets with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage have been successful.<br/><br/>The satellite INSAT 3DR is to provide valuable meteorological data to different user agencies including the Indian Meteorological Department, the Coast Guard, shipping and civil aviation departments. The images and sounders in the satellite will provide information on estimated rainfall, sea and land surface temperature, humidity, cloud cover, snow and fog condition at different altitudes in the atmosphere. <br/><br/>Its data relay transponders will be able to receive from automatic weather stations even from uninhabited remote places. Its another transponder is dedicated for providing timely information on search and rescue mission for people involved in the task on the ground or on the sea by picking up signals from emergency beacons. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports that India's quest for developing its own cryogenic engine that involves highly complex technologies began almost 30 years back. After crossing many turbulent years and hurdles, the GSLV F05 equipped with the indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage is about to have its first operational flight today. This year, this is the first flight for the 2.5 ton class GSLV rocket by the ISRO. The INSAT 3DR satellite it carries is set to maintain continuity of its predecessors including the INSAT 3A, 3D and Kalpana-1, which are ageing, though still operational. Its mission life is about ten years. The scientists are now busy giving finishing touches to the countdown process for the crucial launch.

ISRO will launch advanced weather satellite, INSAT-3DR, using the geosynchronous launch vehicle GSLV-F05, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota today. The launch of the satellite into the Geostationary Transfer Orbit is scheduled to take place at 4.10 pm. <br/><br/>The satellite, weighing 2,211 kilograms during lift off, will have about ten years of operational life and will provide a variety of meteorological services to the country. It will have an advanced imager, a sounder and transponders for data relay and search and rescue missions. AIR correspondent reports today's mission involves the tenth flight for the GSLV launch vehicle. <br/><br/>This is the fourth time it uses an indigenous cryogenic upper stage. And more significantly, this is the first operational flight using India's own cryogenic engine. It is in effect a "Make in India" initiative in the complex technology in which the national space agency ISRO has gained expertise. Once the core stage of the launch vehicle is ignited, it is set to inject the payload in an orbit of 170 kilometer to the nearest point and about 36000 kilometer during its far off phase, in just about 17 minutes. It includes the firing of the cryogenic upper stage lasting for about 12 minutes. The satellite will then be maneuvered to a nearly 36000 kilometer circular orbit by scientists. <br/><br/>The operational life of the INSAT-3DR is about ten years. Today's success would also serve to enhance the reliability of the 2.5 ton capacity GSLV launch vehicle. Its next version of 4-tonne capacity GSLV Mark-III is also being developed by ISRO.