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India launches its largest rocket into space

The 20-minute flight was declared a success.

By Ed Adamczyk

SRIHARIKOTA, India, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- India launched its heaviest rocket and an unmanned crew module into space Thursday, the Indian Space Research Organization announced.

The brief suborbital mission sent a GSLV-Mark III (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket, with two boosters each carrying 207 tons of solid propellant, from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota 126 kilometers (78 miles) into space, where the Crew Module Re-Entry Experiment (CARE) space capsule, capable of carrying astronauts although unmanned for this test, separated from the rocket and safely splashed down in the Bay of Bengal about 20 minutes later.

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The test was regarded as a success. It was the heaviest payload, at 3,775 kilograms (8,332 pounds), India has ever sent into space. In September the space program's Mars Orbiter Mission successfully entered into orbit around Mars, a first for an Asian country and accomplished on a relatively small $74 million budget.

A Twitter message of congratulations from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted the launch "is yet another triumph of brilliance & hardwork of our scientists."

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