Through the successful launch of the Geo Stationary Launch Vehicle          ( GSLV) at 15.48 hrs IST on the 18th of April, 2001 from its Centre at Sriharikota, the Indian Space Research Organisation has added one more mile stone in the onward march of Indian S&T towards its cherished goal.And that too a very significant one indeed.Along with the continued commercial operation of the nuclear power reactors and the successful nuclear explosions at Pokran, the first test flight of the LCA and the successive performance of the missile programmes, India has come a long way in achieving significant capabilities in high tech strategic areas.Added to these is also  the truely significant development of TELCO having developed , commercialised and sold one lakh INDICA Model motor vehicles , developed totally indigenously for the first time - a master piece in civilian technology. When it is realised that Indian agriculture also has achieved all time records , undoubtedly the New Millenium must see many more successes in making our country truely occupying significant positions among the comity of advanced nations in the world.

According to the ISRO sources, it took nearly ten years of development , 58 minutes of countdown and 17 minutes of flight time for the GSLV to put its 1,540 kg  satellite GSAT-1  into the geosynchronous transfer orbit ( GTO) with a perigee of 185 kilometers and apogee of 36,000 kilometers .Through this GSLV success ISRO has nearly realised the dream of its founder , Dr Vikram Sarabhai , in making Indian space programme self-reliant.

Chairman, ISRO, Dr Kasthurirangan described the event as " the longest seventeen minutes in our lives ... most challenging and exciting .. words cannot describe our feelings" . For the quiet , confident and unassuming Mission Director , Shri R.V.Perumal, it was nothing but total glory.
Three cheers to ISRO and its staff in its achievement