Know about GSLV D5 launch & GSAT-14 Satellite: Useful for all competitive Exams

>>  ISRO on 5 January 2014 (Sunday) launched a 1,982 kg Indian communication satellite GSAT 14 aboard its new and improved version of the indigenous GSLV called the GSLV D5.

>> The successful launch was a morale booster for ISRO which helps commercial launches using the GSLV and even prepare for a proposed Chandrayaan 2 mission in the days to come.

Highlights of India's GSLV D5's mission

1) GSLV-D5 launched 1982 Kg GSAT-14, a communication satellite, into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

2) GSLV-D5 mission was launched from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

3) GSLV-D5 is the eighth flight of India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). It is also the fourth developmental flight of GSLV.

4) During this flight, the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) was flight tested for the second time.

5) The flight duration of GSLV-D5 was 17 min 8 sec.

6) GSLV D5's mission was aborted at the eleventh hour on August 19 last year due to a fuel leak in its second stage. ISRO stopped the countdown 74 minutes ahead of the scheduled launch at 1650 hours after noticing the leakage.

7) After reaching GTO, GSAT-14 will use its own propulsion system to reach its geostationary orbital home.

8) GSAT-14 is the twenty third geostationary communication satellite of India built by ISRO.

9) Four of GSAT-14's predecessors were launched by GSLV during 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007 respectively. After its commissioning, GSAT-14 will join the group of India's nine operational geostationary satellites.

10) GSAT-14 will help provide many satellite based communication services to the country including tele-education and tele-medicine.

Information Source: ISRO