GSLV MkIII to make commercial foray by launching 36 satellites on Oct 23

Subject : Science and Technology

Context-

INDIAN SPACE Research Organisation’s heaviest rocket, GSLV Mk-III, is set to launch 36 satellites of the One Web communication constellation from the country’s only spaceport at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on October 23.
With this, the GSLV Mk-III will enter the global commercial launch service market.
The space agency has also thrown open a viewing gallery for the people to witness the launch, which has been done for the first time since the pandemic started.

Purchaser Organisation-

The launch aboard India’s heaviest rocket was purchased by the United Kingdom-based Network Access Associated Limited through the New Space India Limited, one of the commercial arms of the space agency.
Bharti group-backed One Web is a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit to provide broadband services.

ISRO’s Commercial Launch-

India currently has three operational launch vehicles –PSLV, GSLV, and GSLV Mk III.
ISRO has also developed a small satellite launch vehicle, whose first development flight was partially successful.
Since its first operational flight, the PSLV has conducted at least eight commercial-only launches.
The vehicle has established itself in the global market, having launched at least 345 foreign satellites from 36 countries, with its most notable flight being the 2017 PSLV-C37 mission that put 104 satellites in orbits (of which 101 were foreign commercial satellites).

First commercial launch of GSLV MK lll-

This is the first time that India’s heaviest rocket is being used for a commercial launch.
Also, this will be the first time a rocket other than India’s workhorse – Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)– is being used to carry out a commercial launches.
This will be the second flight of the GSLV Mk III— after it joined the ISRO fleet having completed two development flights— since it carried India’s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2.
The other heavier launch vehicle, GSLV, has a spottier record with fourteen launches so far, including the development flights.
However, only eight of the missions were a complete success. None of these missions was commercial ones.