ISRO’s ‘Naughty Boy’ Rocket Returns from Cold for High-Stakes Launch Today

The GSLV-F14 is scheduled to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This mission marks the rocket’s 16th overall launch and its 10th flight utilizing the domestically developed cryogenic engine.

Today evening, the Meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS is set to be launched into space aboard a Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV). This mission is deemed crucial for ISRO’s rocket, affectionately dubbed the “naughty boy.”

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), slated to carry the INSAT-3DS satellite from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 5.35 pm on Saturday, earned the moniker “naughty boy” from a former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. This nickname stems from the rocket’s history of failure, with six out of its 15 flights ending in failure, resulting in a 40 percent failure rate.

The last launch of the GSLV, which occurred on May 29, 2023, was deemed successful. However, the preceding launch, which took place on August 12, 2021, ended in failure.

The GSLV-F14 is scheduled to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, as announced by ISRO. This mission will mark the rocket’s 16th overall mission and its 10th flight utilizing the domestically developed cryogenic engine.

The success of this mission holds significant importance for the GSLV, as it is slated to carry the Earth observation satellite NISAR later this year.

NISAR is a collaborative effort between NASA and ISRO, making the outcome of the current mission pivotal for the future of this joint project.

According to ISRO, the NISAR satellite will conduct global mapping in just 12 days, providing consistent spatial and temporal data. This information will aid in understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, sea level rise, and natural hazards like earthquakes and tsunamis.