The indigenous Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-D2 will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation on May 8, ISRO sources told PTI on Friday.
The rocket will be launched at 1730 hours, the sources added. GSLV-D2 would carry on board the second technology experiment satellite GSAT-2. The launch would be from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at the spaceport of Sriharikota. It comes more than two years after the first launch of GSLV on April 18, 2001.
The launch of GSLV-D2 is significant, as it would mark another major step by New Delhi towards making the country's space programme self-reliant. The GSLV will be commissioned after the third successful development flight.
Once completely operational, India would be in a position to launch heavier satellites on its own, saving precious foreign exchange.