THE ROCKET

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark-III was conceived primarily to deliver 4,000 kg satellites to geostationary transfer orbit

ISRO has renamed it as LVM-3 to identify its task of placing satellites in a range of orbits, with a carrying capacity of up to 10,000 kg in low earth orbit launches

It is a three-stage rocket with two solid motor strap-ons, a liquid propellant core stage and a cryogenic stage

This was its fifth successful mission, beginning with the first orbital flight in 2017, when it launched India’s communications satellite GSAT-19

It was later used to launch Chandrayaan-2 mission to the moon in 2019, which was the rocket’s first operational flight

It will also carry Gaganyaan, India’s first crewed mission planned in 2024