India counts down to satellite launch

The launching of satellites is dominated by just a handful of nations

India is set to conduct the first test of a rocket to launch geostationary satellites this week.

If it succeeds, India will join the United States, the European Space Agency, Japan, Russia and China as a member of the satellite launch club.

The GSLV has been 10 years in the making and cost $300m

The first test flight of the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle, GSLV-D1, marks a big threshold for India's space programme, and offers scope to cut costs for its satellite launches and start a lucrative business, experts say.

The three-stage GSLV is due to blast off from the Sriharikota launch site in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh during a four-hour window period beginning at around 1600 (1030 GMT) on Wednesday.

It will attempt to place a 1.54 tonne experimental satellite GSAT-1 into a geosynchronous orbit.

A geostationary satellite orbits in tandem with the rotation of the planet, which means it maintains an apparently stationary position above a particular point on the Earth's surface. Powerful communications satellites usually fall into this category.

Lucrative business

A perfect flight would signal a major shift towards self-reliance in rocketry, and secure a significant foothold for India in the multi-billion-dollar satellite launch market.

According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India is well placed to grab a lucrative slice of the market.

"If we cater to a niche market for two-tonne satellites, I am sure many countries will be interested in our vehicle," ISRO chairman Mr Kasturirangan said.

The cost of launching a satellite aboard the GSLV has been estimated at between $15,000 to $16,000 per kilogram.

Costs doubled

"This is quite competitive when compared with some other contemporary launch vehicles," Mr Kasturirangan said.

We have tested it extensively on the ground, but there's a difference between what happens on the ground and during the flight itself.

Mr Kasturirangan, ISRO chairman

The GSLV has been 10 years in the making, during which time the project's cost has almost doubled from 7.6 billion rupees ($165m) to 14 billion rupees ($300m).

India's rocket programme has not run particularly smoothly.

Previous launch vehicles, with satellite payloads ranging from 40 kilograms to one tonne have failed to place their satellites in the correct orbits, putting even more pressure on the performance of the GSLV.

'Fingers crossed'

"We are keeping our fingers crossed," admitted Mr Kasturirangan.

"We have tested it extensively on the ground, but there's a difference between what happens on the ground and during the flight itself."

GSLV project director RV Perumal said the rocket would benefit from the lessons learned from launches involving its predecessor, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

"We are confident, because this is not really our first flight, but sixth, as most of the experience of the PSLV's has gone into it," Mr Perumal said.