GSLV-Mk III may be launched in first half of Dec

Isro chief says launch date will depend on preparedness, certain analysis and reconfirmation for the new vehicle and weather

The experimental mission of India's Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III) is expected to be launched in the first half of December.

"Certain reviews are going on at the moment, we expect by December first half we should be able to have the launch," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan told reporters here.

Speaking on the sidelines of Engineers' Conclave-2014, he said the launch date would depend on preparedness, certain analysis and reconfirmation for the new vehicle and weather which would be bad from October to first week of December. "Also need to have the recovery of the crew module, we are getting ready for the launch, it should happen in the first half of December," he said.

The 630-tonne GSLV-MkIII will carry a crew module of 3.65 tonnes. ISRO plans to send astronauts into space eventually. Radhakrishnan said the integration of the vehicle was complete and it was at vehicle assembly building in Sriharikota, and the electrical tests are going on "at the moment".

He said, "We are studying the vehicle because it's configuration is different from what we were flying so far (PSLV) and GSLV. We want to study how it behaves in the atmospheric phase, several measurements have to be done and performance of the vehicle has to assessed."