ISRO set to lift-off new user-friendly launch vehicle designed for smaller satellites

Indian Space Research Organisation will be making its second attempt to launch the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle. This second development flight — SSLV-D2 — will be launched from Sriharikota tomorrow at 9.18 a.m.

SSLV’s maiden flight on August 7 last year had failed to place satellites in their desired orbit.

SSLV-D2 will inject three satellites, namely EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 into a 450 kilometre circular orbit during its 15-minute flight.

The SSLV which can launch 500 kg satellites to low earth orbit on launch-on-demand basis provides low-cost access to space. It offers low-turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites and demands minimal launch infrastructure. It is capable of launching mini, macro and nano satellites.

The configuration of SSLV has three solid propulsion stages and a velocity terminal module. The Vehicle is 34 metres tall, 2 metres in diameter and its lift-off mass of 120 tonnes.

Among the satellites SSLV will launch is EOS-07 which is 156.3 kg in weight and designed, developed and built by ISRO’s Bengaluru-based UR Rao Satellite Centre. It will gather data for geographic information systems applications.

The second one is Janus-1 which belongs to US-based Antaris software platform and weighs 10.2 kg while the third is AzaadiSAT-2 built by 750 girl students. Chennai-based space start-up Space Kidz led AzaadiSAT-2 weighing 8.7 kg and for this they selected 10 girls from 75 Government schools from across the country who are students of Class VIII to XII.