At 2, Sept. 4 -- 55 am on Friday (September 4), when most of India was still asleep, the countdown at Sriharikota reached its defining moment - GSLV-F17 thundered into the dark sky carrying EOS-05, an advanced Earth observation satellite designed to operate from geosynchronous orbit.

About 18 minutes later, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had another reason to breathe easier.

The 2,367-kg satellite had been precisely injected into its intended sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit, marking the successful 19th flight of the GSLV and the 107th launch from Sriharikota.

The achievement came after a difficult period for India's launch programme and gave the GSLV Mk II, often referred to as ISRO's "Naughty Boy", another important c...