What is the Full Form of GSLV?

The full form of GSLV is Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) designed and operates the satellite launch vehicle. It is used to place satellites and other spacecraft into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits. To date (July 2017), it has launched eleven satellites. The first satellite was launched in 2001, and the most recently launched satellite was on May 5, 2017.

Description of GSLV

The GSLV stands 49 metres tall. It is a three-stage rocket with a 414.75-tonne lift-off mass. It comes with strap-on motors. The present GSLV configuration can place a payload of around 2500 kg in Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). It can also place payloads weighing up to 5 tonnes in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

• First Stage (GS1): To generate thrust in this stage, an S-138 solid rocket motor with four liquid engine strap-on motors is used. It has a maximum thrust of 4700 Kilo Newton.
• Second Stage (GS2): The Vikas liquid rocket engine is used in this stage. This stage generates a maximum thrust of 800 Kilos Newton.
• Third level (CUS): A cryogenic engine is used in this level. The fuel for this engine is liquid hydrogen and oxygen. The CE=7.5 is India’s first cryogenic engine.

What is the Difference Between GLSV and PSLV?

The GSLV, as the older of the two, includes some of the PSLV’s advancements in its design. Another point of distinction between PSLV and GSLV is the rocket itself. The PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) and GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) are ISRO’s satellite-launch rockets.

• PSLV’s principal mission is to launch “earth-observation” or “remote-sensing” satellites into Sun-Synchronous circular polar orbits at altitudes ranging from 600 to 900 kilometres.
• Remote sensing satellites orbit the Earth in a pole-to-pole orbit (at around 98 degrees orbital-plane inclination).
• An orbit is considered to be sun-synchronous when the angle between the line connecting the satellite’s centre and the Sun remains constant throughout the orbit.
• These orbits are often referred to as “Low Earth Orbits (LEO)” due to their sun-synchronism properties, which allow the satellite’s onboard camera to record photos of the earth under the same sun-illumination conditions during each of its repeated passes over the same spot on the ground.
• As a result, the satellite can be used to monitor the earth’s resources.

Also Read: Full Form of ISRO

Hope now you know all about the full form of GSLV. Visit the General Knowledge page to discover more intriguing articles like these.