SSLV delivers payload on maiden flight, ISRO examining data loss
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle placed the EOS-02 into the intended orbit, followed by AzaadiSAT after travelling for about 13 minutes. AzaadiSAT -- an 8 kg Cubesat -- has been designed by the girl students from government schools across the country to mark the 75th Anniversary of Independence.
FollowThe Indian Space Research Organisation scripted history on Sunday with the launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle from the spaceport in Sriharikota. The 34-metre-tall SSLV ferried an earth observation satellite and a student satellite named AzaadiSAT developed by a student team of 'Space Kidz India'.
ISRO informed that the maiden flight of SSLV had been completed and that all stages of the rocket had performed as expected. However, data loss was observed during the terminal stage. ISRO is analysing the data loss.
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The SSLV's liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module helped place the satellites into the intended orbit. The rocket used solid fuel to fire the first three stages, while the fourth stage used liquid propulsion.
The Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) 02 is expected to offer advanced optical remote sensing operating in an infra-red band with high spatial resolution. It belongs to the micro-satellite series of spacecraft.
The SSLV placed the EOS-02 into the intended orbit, followed by AzaadiSAT after travelling for about 13 minutes. AzaadiSAT -- an 8 kg Cubesat -- has been designed by the girl students from government schools across the country to mark the 75th Anniversary of Independence.
ISRO officials said that the SSLV has a low turnaround time and can be assembled within a fortnight. That allows the space agency to provide launch-on-demand service in the fast-growing low earth orbit launch sector.
India's space prowess
To recall, ISRO first launched sounding rockets in 1965 to probe the upper atmospheric regions and for space research. The first sounding rocket was launched in November 1963 near Thiruvananthapuram.
In 1980, the space agency launched the nation's first Satellite Launch Vehicle-3, which could carry payloads of upto 40kgs. In 1987, the first developmental flight of the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle was undertaken. The ASLV had a payload capacity of upto 150kgs.
India's first Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle was launched in September 1993, but the launch was unsuccessful. However, in 1994, ISRO successfully launched the PSLV.
India emerged to be a reliable and versatile trusted workhorse after the first flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle in 2001, which was the largest launch vehicle developed by India, currently under operation.
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