Bangalore: Even as ISRO successfully launched the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), preparations are in full swing for flight-testing of GSLV with indigenous cryogenic engine, a key step to boost the country's confidence in terms of its self-reliance in launch capability, on December 15.
“We have put all our efforts for the development of GSLV”, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said. “The assembly of GSLV is going on at Sriharikota. It started on October 18. Now, the launch is scheduled for December 15th”.
The maiden flight testing of the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage conducted in GSLV-D3 on April 15, 2010, failed.
ISRO made another attempt on August 19 this year but the launch was called off as a leak was observed in the UH25 fuel system of the liquid second stage during the pre-launch pressurisation phase on the vehicle just two hours before the scheduled lift-off.
