On its 16th mission overall and its 10th flight with the locally manufactured super-cooled cryogenic engine, the GSLV-F14 successfully launched the INSAT-3DS satellite into an exact orbit after taking off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

This evening, the meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS was launched into space aboard a Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in what was described as a critical mission for ISRO’s rocket, which former ISRO Chairman K Sivan dubbed “Naughty Boy.” On February 17, 2024, at 5:35 p.m., the launch went occurred.

The success of the mission is critical to the GSLV, which is slated to launch the Earth observation satellite NISAR—a joint NASA and ISRO project—later this year.

In a span of 12 days, NISAR aims to map the complete planet and furnish “spatially and temporally consistent” data to comprehend alterations.

By observing the ocean’s surface, the satellite will aid in the creation of more detailed, accurate, and educational weather forecasts. It will also be able to issue alerts for natural disasters.

The INSAT-3DS satellite is to be launched into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on this, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle’s (16th) space mission.

This will be the 16th mission of the GSLV F14, fully supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and a significant milestone in India’s space programme.

The GSLV-F14 has been referred to as a “naughty boy” by the former head of the ISRO due to its frequent issues. With 6 out of its 15 space flights completed thus far, GSLV F14 has experienced issues, giving it a 40% failure rate. Thus, it would be extremely important to ISRO if this mission were to launch succe, it would be extremely important to ISRO if this mission were to launch successfully.