Isro’s second launch of SSLV today
CHENNAI: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be making a second attempt to successfully launch its newly developed Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) on Friday morning. After a failed attempt in August last year, the second developmental flight (SSLV-D2) will take off from the first launch pad in Sriharikota at 9.18 am.
India’s new mini-launch vehicle SSLV aims to capture a share of the $10-billion global small satellite launch service segment.ISRO sources said the six-and-a-half-hour countdown for the mission will begin at 2.48 am. The SSLV rocket will be carrying three satellites - ISRO’s Earth Observation Satellite - EOS-07, Janus-1 belonging to ANTARIS of the US and AzaadiSat-2 belonging to Space Kidz India, Chennai.
This mission will be crucial for ISRO considering its high commercial potential. “It is designed to be affordable and will function as a launch-on-demand platform for mini, micro and nanosatellites. The launcher also targets many novel features including low turnaround time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites and minimal launch infrastructure requirements,” ISRO said. Though the rocket’s solid propulsion system worked fine in the first developmental flight of the SSLV launched in August last year, the satellites were placed in the wrong orbit.
“The spacecraft were injected into a highly elliptical unstable orbit due to a shortfall in velocity, leading to their decay and deorbiting immediately. Initial investigations with the flight data indicated an anomaly during the second stage (SS2) separation. A detailed failure analysis was conducted by committees that gave certain recommendations and corrective actions like change in the separation system,” ISRO said and added all the corrective measures have been undertaken.