The maiden flight of GSLV Mark III
India’s space agency, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization), successfully launches its first heavy-lift rocket, the GSLV Mark III, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. A massive launch vehicle capable of hefting 4-ton payloads into a geostationary orbit, GSLV Mark III’s first payload is the Indian government’s GSAT-19 communications satellite. ISRO also has its eyes on manned spaceflight, with later GSLV payloads potentially including a crewed vehicle to low Earth orbit.