India launches unmanned space module weighing 3.7 tons

On the morning of December 18, India successfully launched a 3.7-ton unmanned space module with a GSLV Mark III rocket - the most modern rocket in the country.

India's unmanned space module weighs 3.7 tons, can hold 2-3 people - (Photo: Zee News)

According to Xinhua, this module is as big as a small bedroom and can accommodate 2-3 people. It was launched from Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said five minutes after launch, the module had been removed from the missile at a height of 126km.

At this time, the module flies at a remote controlled speed. When 80km away from Earth, the propulsion motors on the module will be turned off. It will return to the Earth's atmosphere at great velocity and the outer collision temperature at about 1,600 degrees Celsius.

At an altitude of about 15km, though open and the top cover of the module is separated so that it falls freely into the Bay of Bengal near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

According to ISRO, this launch mission is to test flight stability in the GSLV Mark III's atmosphere, as well as to study the characteristics of returning to the Earth of a space module.

The GSLV Mark III rocket weighs 630 tons, consists of two floors, operates on liquid and solid fuel and is said to be the most modern rocket of ISRO today.