Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM-3)

News: ISRO has begun assembling the Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM-3) for the first uncrewed flight of Gaganyaan.

About Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM-3)

• It is a human-rated version of ISRO’s LVM3, developed for India’s Gaganyaan mission to transport humans into space.
• Aim: To ensure safe human spaceflight by integrating advanced reliability and safety features.
• Features:
  • Payload capacity– It is a three stage vehicle with a payload capacity of about 10 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
  • Height and weight– It is 53 meters tall and weighs 640 tonnes.
  • Crew Escape System (CES)– It is a safety mechanism designed to protect astronauts in the event of an emergency during a space mission. It is activated in the early stages of flight, typically before the spacecraft reaches the point of atmospheric flight separation

About LVM-3 vehicle

• Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM 3) is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellants S200 strap-ons on its sides and a core stage comprising the L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage.
• LMV3 rocket has a lift-off mass of 640 tonnes.
• It can carry up to 8 tonnes of payloads to lower earth orbits(LEO).
• To the geostationary transfer orbits (GTO), it can carry a payload of about 4 tonnes.