India’s SSLV Rocket boosts space success
On Friday, India successfully orbited two satellites with its new rocket – Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
On its third and final developmental flight, the SSLV-D3 put into orbit an earth observation satellite-08 (EOS-08) weighing about 175.5 kg, and an SR-0 satellite belonging to the Chennai-based start-up Space Rickshaw.
India’s new Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D3) successfully lifted off from the first launch pad on Friday morning, carrying the Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08) and a smaller satellite, SR-0.
The EOS-08, weighing 175.5 kg, is designed for earth observation purposes, while SR-0, developed by Chennai-based start-up Space Rickshaw, was a secondary payload.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) designed the SSLV to accommodate up to 500 kg payloads in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), responding to the growing market demand for smaller satellite launches. At approximately 9:17 a.m., the 34-meter-tall, 119-ton rocket, valued at around Rs 56 crore, lifted off with a striking orange flame and began its ascent.
The SSLV-D3’s successful launch marks another milestone in ISRO’s efforts to advance satellite launch capabilities and support the burgeoning small satellite sector.
As to the mission’s objectives, ISRO said that it will complete the SSLV Development Project and enable operational missions by Indian industry and the public sector NewSpace India Ltd.
About 13 minutes into its flight, the SSLV rocket will eject EOS-08 and about three minutes later the SR-0 will be separated. Both the satellites will separate from the rocket at an altitude of 475 km.
For the city-based space sector start-up Space Rickshaw, the SR-0 will be its first satellite.
“We will be making six more satellites on a commercial basis,” Srimathy Kesan, co-founder of Space Rickshaw and founder CEO of Space Kidz India told news agency IANS.
Meanwhile, the primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites, ISRO said.
The EOS-08 satellite, built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, features three key payloads: the Electro-Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR) for detailed imaging in various infrared bands, the Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R) for environmental and surface analysis, and the SiC UV Dosimeter for monitoring UV irradiance and gamma radiation.
The satellite incorporates advanced systems like the CBSP Package for integrated avionics and miniaturized antenna pointing mechanisms. ISRO now has three rocket types: the PSLV, GSLV, and the new SSLV, which aims to reduce costs with a development expense of about Rs 56 crore each.
The SSLV-D3 launch follows the failed SSLV-D1 flight in August 2022, which lost its satellites due to incorrect orbit insertion. The SSLV-D2 flight in February 2023 successfully deployed multiple payloads, including EOS-07.
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