PSLV to GSLV: After small satellites, ISRO chases bigger dreams

The launch of GSLV-MK III, slated for April will able to cater to bigger satellites as well

Last week, images from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, made headlines across the globe. With the launch of 104 satellites in a single flight, Indian Space Research Organisation’s reliable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its 39th flight, made a record-breaking move: the PSLV-C37 carried into orbit satellites nearly three times the number seen in past missions.

Prior to this, Russia’s Dnepr rocket had carried 37 payloads in June 2014. But breaking Russia’s record wasn’t India’s target. The idea was, in the words of ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar, “to make optimum use of our capacity”.

ISRO’s primary