Posted: Wed, Apr 18, 2001, 8:29 AM ET (1229 GMT)
India's space agency successfully launched a new, more powerful launch vehicle early Wednesday, three weeks after a last-second launch abort. The first Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) lifted off on schedule at 6:13 am EDT (1013 GMT) from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launch facility at Sriharikota. The spacecraft placed into orbit the GSAT-1 eperimental communications satellite. The launch was scheduled for March 28 but was aborted one second before liftoff when a plumbing problem in one of four strap-on boosters prevented it from generating enough thrust. The three-stage GSLV is the first Indian launcher capable of placing payloads into geosynchronous orbit, and is seen by many as a sign that India has become a major spacefaring nation.

Related Links:

•  ISRO information about GSLV