ISRO to testfire GSLV Mk-III rocket on June 5. If the test is successful, the rocket could be used for manned missions. GSLV Mk-III will be the first to take Indians into space from Indian soil. At present, only Russia, US and China have the capability for manned missions. A new cryogenic engine is being tested on a fully functional GSLV MK-III. The system uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen as propellants. ISRO’s heaviest rocket ever made weighs 640 tons or almost five times the weight of a fully-loaded Jumbo Jet airplane. It is capable of carrying of up to 4-ton into the geosynchronous orbit. With GSLV Mk-III, ISRO will have the potential to enter the world’s multi-billion dollar launch market.
