This Is How ISRO's GSLV Mark-III Fares Against World's Other Heavyweight Rockets

ISRO has launched the GSLV MK-III rocket, which has the highest payload carrying capacity for a rocket developed by the Indian space agency so far. With its 4,000 kg of payload capacity the GSLV Mark III is yet another feather in ISRO's cap. Here's a look at how it fares in comparison with other big rockets.

GSLV MK-III

Height: 43.43 metres

Vehicle Diameter: 4 metres

Number of stages: 3

Payload capacity (Lower orbit earth): 8,000 kg

Payload capacity (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits): 4,000 kg

Weight of the heaviest payload: 3,136 kg

Agency: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Ariane 5

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5

Height: 46-52 metres

Vehicle Diameter: 5.4 metres

Number of stages: 3

Payload capacity (Lower orbit earth): 20,000 kg

Payload capacity (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits): 10,500 kg

Weight of the highest payload: 10,865 kg

Agency: European Space Agency (ESA)

Falcon 9 FT

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Height: 70 metres

Vehicle Diameter: 3.7 metres

Number of stages: 2

Payload capacity (Lower orbit earth): 22,800 kg

Payload capacity (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits): 8,300 kg. 5,500 kg for the reusable version.

Weight of the highest payload: 6,070 kg

Agency: Space X

Proton M

Height: 58.2 metres

Vehicle Diameter: 7.4 metres

Number of stages: 3 or 4

Payload capacity (Lower orbit earth): 23,000 kg

Payload capacity (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits): 6,300 kg

Weight of the highest payload: 6,740 kg

Agency: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Centre, Russia

Saturn V

NASA NASA / Reuters

Height: 110.2 metres

Vehicle Diameter: 10.1 metres

Number of stages: 3

Payload capacity (Lower orbit earth): 140,000 kg

Payload capacity (Trans Lunar Injection): 48,600 kg

Weight of the highest payload: 48,600 kg

Agency: National Aviation and Space Agency (NASA), USA

Long March 5

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Height: 57 metres

Vehicle Diameter: 5 metres

Number of stages: 3

Payload capacity (Lower orbit earth): 25,000 kg

Payload capacity (Trans Lunar Injection): 14,600 kg

Weight of the highest payload: 4,000 kg

Agency: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT)

These rockets have launched satellites into the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). There are also many heavy rockets that have launched satellites into a lower orbit. A look at these numbers shows that ISRO still has some ways to go in the heavy-rocket launch game. The agency is planning to ramp up Mark III's capacity to 6 tons.

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