India's space odyssey continues with SSLV success

India, on Friday, 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 SR-0 satellite belonging to the Chennai-based start-up Space Rickshaw.

Speaking about the mission, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Dr S. Somanath said: “The third development flight of SSLV has been successfully accomplished. We can declare the process of SSLV development has been completed. We are in the process of transferring the SSLV technology to the industries.”

Somanath also said the satellites have been placed in the orbit planned and there is no deviation. “The satellite’s (EOS-08) solar panels have been deployed,” Somanath added. According to SS Vinod, Mission Director, a major milestone in SSLV has been achieved.

“The spacecraft (EOS-08) is unique with new technologies. There are 20 new technologies and three new payloads in the satellite,” M. Avinash, Satellite Director said.

ISRO has developed SSLV with a carrying capacity of 500 kg to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) based on the market trend of going in for smaller satellites. At about 9.17 a.m. the 34-metre tall and about 119-ton expendable rocket costing about Rs 56 crore broke free of the first launch pad and started its one-way journey upwards.

The rocket with a thick orange flame at its tail slowly gathered speed and went up. 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, at an altitude of 475 km, the SSLV rocket ejected EOS-08 and about three minutes later the SR-0 was separated. 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 and CEO of Space Kidz India said.

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.

Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter.