[SatNews] The mission wasn't exactly accomplished this last April 15 when what would have been the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) flight test of the indigenous Cryogenic Engine in the GSLV-D3 mission failed.

More determined this time, the ISRO has decided to launch its new a 2,400 kg communication satellite GSAT-5 Prime from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at around 4 pm on December 20.

The mission readiness review in Sriharikota yesterday, chaired by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan, gave the go-ahead for the mission. "The satellite is slated to be moved to the launch-pad tomorrow", an ISRO official said. ISRO sources said that the launch window for the mission will start on December 20 and it would be open for about 90 minutes. Senior ISRO officials held a series of meetings and reviewed the mission readiness before fixing the date. The satellite had already been integrated with the launch vehicle. A series of tests will be conducted over the next few days at the Vehicle Assembly building and the vehicle will be moved to the launch pad three days before the launch.

This would be ISRO's first GSLV mission after the failure of the flight testing of the indigenous Cryogenic Engine  in the GSLV-D3 mission on April 15 this year.

The 2400-kg satellite GSAT-5P was being planned as replacement for INSAT-3E, equipped with 24 normal C-band and 12 Extended C-band transponders, would be launched by home-made Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06) powered by Russian cryogenic engine. The exclusive C-band GSAT-5P has a designed mission life of 12 years.