Context: New Space India Ltd (NSIL) has released a Request for Qualification (RFQ) document inviting Indian industry partners for productionising Indian Space Research Organisation’s heavy lift launcher, Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) under a PPP framework. This collaboration aims towards manufacturing LVM-3s in increased numbers and over a longer period of time.
About LVM-3:
- Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or LVM3 (previously referred as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III or GSLV Mk III) is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
- LVM-3 has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes and is 43.5 m tall, and gives ISRO self-reliance in launching heavier communication satellites.
- LVM3 has a higher payload capacity than its predecessor GSLV Mk II.
- Payload capacity:
- 4,000 kilograms to geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
- 10,000 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO).
- Payload capacity:
- It is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of:
- Two solid propellant S200 Strap-ons
- Core stages comprising of L110 liquid stage
- C25 cryogenic stage
- The EA has the spacecraft, Payload Adaptor (PLA) and the Payload fairing (PF).
- Primarily designed to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit. It is also due to launch crewed missions under the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme (Gaganyaan Mision).
- The LVM3 has launched CARE, India's space capsule recovery experiment module, Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 (India's second and third lunar missions) and will be used to carry Gaganyaan, the first crewed mission under Indian Human Spaceflight Programme.
About New Space India Limited (NSIL):
- NSIL is the commercial arm of ISRO with a mandate to enable Indian industries to scale up high-technology manufacturing and production bases in the country for meeting the emerging domestic and international space programme needs.
- Established: 2019
- It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India and is under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
- As part of Space Sector reforms, announced by the Government of India in 2020, and the Indian Space Policy 2023, activities opened up for enhanced private sector participation.