GSLV flight with indigenous engine likely in 2012: ISRO

SRIHARIKOTA: The next flight of the geostationary launch vehicle ( GSLV) with indigenous cryogenic engine is likely in the second quarter of next year, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said here on Wednesday.

"We have a major task ahead of us... development and perfection of indigenous cryogenic stage. We are making good progress and we plan to have the next flight of GSLV with indigenous cryogenic engine in the second quarter of 2012," the ISRO chief said.

Before the GSLV launch, ISRO plans to have two more missions of PSLV, Radhakrishnan said after the successful launch of Indo-French satellite Mega-Tropiques and three nano satellites from here. "..we plan to have two more missions of PSLV. One, for launching India's first microwave remote sensing satellite and the other a joint mission of India and France to look at the oceans," he said.

GSLV-III is designed to make the country fully self-reliant in launching heavier communication satellites.