ISRO's plans to revolutionize space missions with advanced launch vehicles

tech.hindustantimes.com:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), known for its cost-effective and reliable space missions, is poised to take a significant leap forward with its upcoming advanced launch vehicles. These developments promise to enhance payload capacities and introduce reusability, marking a new era in space exploration and satellite deployment.

Before delving into the technical advancements of these launch vehicles, it's crucial to understand what happens during a satellite launch. The process begins with the rocket, consisting of various components such as the payload (the satellite), propulsion modules (fuel tanks and engines), and multiple stages that are designed to separate during ascent. As the rocket's engines ignite, it ascends, shedding weight by jettisoning its spent stages in a process called staging. This action allows the remaining parts of the rocket to accelerate further. The satellite, housed within the fairing (a protective nose cone), stays shielded from atmospheric drag and heat. Once the rocket reaches the edge of space, the fairing is discarded, revealing the satellite. Upon achieving the desired orbit, the satellite is carefully released from the rocket's final stage, ensuring its precise deployment into the intended orbital path. This methodical sequence is vital for the satellite's successful placement and operation in space.

One of the key upgrades is in the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), ISRO's heavy-lift launch vehicle. This is the same launch vehicle that successfully carried Chandrayaan 3 to the lunar South Pole. The current payload capacity of the LVM3 stands at 4 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) and an impressive 8 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). With the introduction of a semi-cryogenic engine, known as SC120, the payload capacity is set to increase further, enhancing the LVM3's capability to meet the emerging global commercial launch service market needs. This advancement aligns with the space sector reforms announced by the