Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Radhakrishnan on Monday said the flight- testing of the indigenous cryogenic stage of the Geo Stationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D3 would be conducted in April.
The vehicle would carry GAST-4, a communication satellite, he told reporters after receiving an honorary degree of Doctor of Science during the 5th convocation at the SRM University in Kattankulathur.
“Though we had several GSLV flights, we were using the Russian cryogenic stages,” he said.
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As far as cryogenic engine and stages were concerned, ISRO had tested engines for 7,500 seconds.
“We have qualified the stage. The entire stage was filled and fired for its entire duration of 720 seconds at [the Liquid Propulsion Centre in] Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu and it was very successful,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said.