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

NASA's Saturn V has the maximum payload capacity.
NOAH SEELAM via Getty Images

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

JODY AMIET via Getty Images

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

Joe Raedle via Getty Images

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

VCG via Getty Images

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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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.