GSLV-D6

• GSLV: Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle rocket
• Launched from: Sriharikota
• Satellite launched: GSAT-6 the military satellite
• In August 2013, India launched GSAT-7 (or Rukmini), its first military satellite to keep an eye on the Indian Ocean and Malacca.
• ISRO Chairman: Kiran Kumar
• Cryogenic upper stage (CUS) engine propellants: liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX)
• The space agency’s long-term objective at this stage is to develop capability to place communication satellites weighing four tonnes and more in the GTO.
• India has certified its membership of a special six-nation club by using a cryogenic engine to launch a heavy satellite into an orbit 36,000 km away. 
• Over 20 nations have the technology to launch light satellites, but only India, the US, China, Russia, Japan and the Europe Space Agency have cryogenic engines to put heavy satellites into space. 
• There is an exploding market for small satellites and India can leverage its lead over space technology to corner a substantial chunk. For this ISRO must give Indian private companies the freedom to acquire business from other clients. So far, ISRO has bound them with an exclusive buyer-purchaser arrangement. ISRO will also be the beneficiary because with volumes of scale kicking in, private companies should be able to supply components at cheaper rates. 

APPLICATION OF GSAT-6

• GSAT-6 will provide a much clearer real-time battlefield picture to the Army authorities
• It will allow a connection among all Army regiments for seamless real-time flow of two-way information, data, videos and even transmission of images captured through night-vision cameras
• A mix of handheld devices and laptops will serve as nodal points

STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE OF GSLV LAUNCH

• The technologically complex cryogenic propulsion system is the zealously guarded preserve of only a handful of advanced space-faring countries which are not willing to transfer the technology of this crucial rocket propulsion system. India is the sixth country in the world to have mastered the cryogenic propulsion system, which provides more thrust for every kg of fuel burnt in comparison to the solid and earth storable liquid propellants.
• By successfully demonstrating the capability of the indigenous cryogenic engine stage that is driven by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at extremely low temperatures, ISRO has overcome a major   technological barrier in so far as building a domestic heavy lift launch capability is concerned. Indeed, the 630-tonne heavy lift GSLV-MKIII capable of placing a 4-tonne class satellite payload into a geostationary transfer orbit.
• The message of the successful GSLV-D6 mission is that no technology, however complex and challenging it might be, is beyond India's capability to develop and deploy. 
• The routine deployment of GSLV would free India from its dependence on the Ariane-5 vehicle of the European space transportation company, Arianespace, for getting its two-tonne plus GSAT/INSAT satellites off the ground. This “launch independence” would save Indian exchequer the enormous cost involved in paying for a commercial launch service.
• It costs around $90-million for launching a communications satellite in 3.5-tonne weight class through a procured commercial space vehicle. India can also consolidate its position in the global commercial launch market by offering the services of GSLV-MKII for launching the satellites of international customers on commercial terms.
• Of course, India has made modest forays in the satellite launch market by promoting its four-stage space workhorse PSLV(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) as a cost-efficient space platform for launching light weight satellites into a variety of orbits for a fee. PSLV has set an excellent track record of reliability by launching as many as 45 satellites from 19 countries.
• However, it is only a heavy-lift vehicle like GSLV-MKIII that could add “real muscle” to the Indian launch service business. Clearly, a home-grown, high- performance launch vehicle  capable of meeting Indian needs for launching heavier class satellites makes for  strategic  sense because it could  insulate the country from “whims and uncertainties” that the multi-billion dollar global space launch market could face in the future  due to shifting political, geo- strategic priorities. 
• Further, with a heavy-lift capability under its thumb, there is no need for India to worry about the notorious technology denial regime as exemplified by the US trade sanctions and technology embargo.

By: Vishal