Countdown for India`s ambitious rocket mission begins

Bangalore, Apr 13 (PTI) The stage is all set for flight-
testing of indigenous cryogenic stage and engine on homegrown
rocket GSLV-D3 for the first time as an air of expectancy and
anxiety grips the Sriharikota spaceport on Andhra coast for
the ambitious mission.
"A 29-hour countdown is expected to start at 11.27 am
tomorrow for the launch of GSLV-D3 on Thursday at 4.27 pm,"
Indian Space Research Organisation spokesperson S Satish told
PTI here.
The testing of the complex cryogenic technology is going
to be a major landmark for India's space programme, and a
successful mission would catapult it into the select band of
nations -- the US, Russia, France, Japan and China -- which
had mastered this "highest level" of propulsion technology.
It would make India totally self-reliant in space
transportation area, Satish said.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K
Radhakrishnan sees this week's GSLV mission a result of 18
years of research and development on cryogenic technology by
Indian scientists and engineers.
ISRO took up the indigenous development of cryogenic
upper stage and engine after Russia succumbed to US pressure
and declined to transfer the technology sought by India.
ISRO flew five of the seven "ready-made" cryogenic stages
supplied by Russia in the earlier GSLV flights. (More) PTI