On which date was the second stage (GS2) for GSLV-F16 (launching NISAR) flagged off?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. April 2025.
The second stage (GS2) of ISRO’s GSLV-F16 mission, tasked with launching the joint NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, was officially flagged off on April 24, 2025.
The ceremony took place at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, where Dr. V. Narayanan (Director of IPRC and Chairman of ISRO) led the event alongside directors from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). This liquid-propellant stage was transported to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota for final vehicle integration. The NISAR mission, a high-stakes Earth-observation project, represents the first GSLV flight to a Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO), with the final launch successfully taking place on July 30, 2025.