NEW DELHI, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch a heaviest rocket, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III) that would be able to take humans into space, officials said Sunday.
The first-ever developmental flight of the launch vehicle is scheduled on Monday evening. However, the 25-and-a-half hour countdown would begin on Sunday afternoon.
"Mission readiness review (MRR) committee and launch authorisation board (LAB) have cleared the 25 and half hr countdown of GSLV MkIII D1 / GSAT-19 mission for Sunday, June 4, 2017, starting at 3:58 p.m. local time (1028 GMT)," a statement issued by ISRO said.
The vehicle will be launched from the ISRO headquarters in Sriharikotta of the southern Indian state of Andhra.
"The most powerful ever rocket developed by the ISRO, will lift off the communication satellite GSAT-19 to a geo-synchronous transfer orbit (GTO) in space, after its ignition at 5:28 p.m. local time (1158 GMT) on Monday," an official said.
Reports said if the launch succeeds ISRO plans to seek financial assistance from the federal government to station Indians in space.
