PROJECT SOORYA (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: ISRO has formalised a project team, internally named ‘SOORYA’, to start building the New Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV).

Project SOORYA

• About: Establishing a 3rd launch pad at Sriharikota is essential due to the differing configuration of the NGLV compared to current rockets.
• Multi-stage Launch Capability: NGLV boasts a 3-stage launch vehicle design, enhancing its efficiency and adaptability for various missions.
• Environmentally Friendly Fuel Options: Utilizes green fuel combinations like methane-liquid oxygen or kerosene-liquid oxygen, ensuring reduced environmental impact during launches.
• Enhanced Payload Capacity: Offers a payload capacity of up to 10 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO), more than doubling the capability of India's current heaviest rocket, the LVM-3.
• Reusability for Cost Efficiency: Features recoverable parts, enabling reusability and significantly reducing launch costs to around $1,900 per kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• Cost-Competitive Solution: With its reusability, NGLV provides a cost-effective alternative with a lower launch cost compared to expendable configurations, contributing to economic viability.
• Aligning with India’s Space Vision 2047: Supports the national goal of establishing a space station by 2035 and eventual lunar exploration by Indian astronauts, in line with India’s Space Vision 2047.

Next Generation Launch Vehicle

• About: The Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), formerly known as the Unified Launch Vehicle (ULV), is a project led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• Features: The NGLV is envisaged as a three-stage rocket with partial reusability, a departure from the current operational systems like PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3.
• Purpose and Objective: Designed with the aim to modernize and enhance India's space launch capabilities, the NGLV seeks to replace existing launch platforms, ensuring better efficiency and adaptability.