Re-Entry: GSLV Mk. III Upper Stage
The Cryogenic Upper Stage of the inaugural orbital mission of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. III or LVM3 re-entered the atmosphere on February 8, 2018 after spending eight months slowly spiraling down from a highly elliptical Geostationary Transfer Orbit following the successful delivery of the GSAT-19 communications satellite. Designated C-25, the upper stage is India’s largest cryogenic rocket stage developed to date and hosts the powerful 200kN CE-20 engine, the most powerful full-cryo engine developed by India.
The C25 stage stands 13.55 meters tall and is 4.0 meters in diameter with an inert mass of five metric tons. Harnessing the power of a pair of Solid Rocket Boosters and a hypergolic core stage, coupled with the C-25, GSLV Mk.III can lift 5,000 Kilograms into a standard Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
NORAD ID: 42748
Type: GSLV R/B
Origin: India
Object: GSLV Mk. III D01 Third Stage
Mass: ~5,000 Kilograms
Launch: June 5, 2017 – 11:58 UTC
Launch Site: Satish Dhawan, India
Launch Vehicle: GSLV Mk. III
Ascent Duration: 16.3 Minutes
Payload: GSAT-19
Re-Entry Prediction: February 8, 2018 – 11:30 UTC +/- 180 Min.
Re-Entry Location: Unknown
