Edited by: Debashis Sarkar
Last updated: February 10, 2023, 9:36 AM IST
ISRO SSLV-D2 mission had targets to inject EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450 km circular lower orbit.
ISRO launched its second development flight of its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), SSLV-D2 on February 10, 2023 at 9:18 a.m. IST.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched three small satellites powered by its SSLV-D2 launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The launch vehicle carried EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites and aimed to inject them into a 450 km circular orbit.
This was the second development flight of its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), SSLV-D2 and the launch took place on February 10, 2023 at 9:18 a.m. IST.
SSLV is suitable for launching satellites up to 500 kg to low Earth orbits on a launch-on-demand basis. “It offers low-cost access to space, offers short turnaround times and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, and requires minimal launch infrastructure,” said a statement from ISRO.
The SSLV-D2 mission aimed to make a 15-minute flight to inject EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450 km circular lower orbit. “It is configured with three solid propulsion stages and a speed terminal module. It is a 34 meter high vehicle with a diameter of 2 meters and a take-off mass of 120 tons,” said ISRO. The EOS-07 satellite weighs 156.3 kg and is made by ISRO.
WATCH LIVE: ISRO SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Launch Mission
“New experiments include mm-Wave Humidity Sounder and Spectrum Monitoring Payload. Janus-1, a 10.2 kg satellite, belongs to ANTARIS, USA. An 8.7 kg AzaadiSAT-2 satellite is a joint effort of about 750 girl students across India, led by Space Kidz India, Chennai,” it added.
About 13 minutes into its flight, the SSLV rocket will eject EOS-07, and soon after that the other two satellites Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 will be ejected — all at an altitude of 450 km, ISRO said.
With the new missile in its portfolio, ISRO will have three missiles: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and its variants (costing around Rs 200 crore), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MkII costing around Rs 272 crore and LVM3 costing Rs 434 crore ) and SSLV (Development cost of three missiles about Rs 56 crore each) and production cost may fall later.
The first flight of the SSLV – SSLV-D1- on August 7, 2022 was a failure as the rocket misplaced the two satellites – EOS-01 and AZAADISAT – resulting in their loss.
According to ISRO, the sensors aboard SSLV-D1 were affected by vibration during second stage separation. While the rocket’s software was able to eject the satellites, the ejection happened in the wrong orbit. The satellites also lacked the necessary speed to be in a stable orbit and were forgotten.
(With input from IANS)
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