Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

In News: The maiden flight of ISRO’s newly developed Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) suffered a setback, with “data loss” at the terminal stage, after three stages had “performed and separated” as planned.

• The satellites ended up being placed in an elliptical orbit, and are “no longer usable”.
• While the three solid fuel-based propulsion stages worked normally, the satellites were injected into a wrong orbit, due to failure of logic to identify a sensor failure.
• The new rocket was carrying an Indian Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-02, weighing 145 kg and AzaadiSat, made by 750 schoolgirls to celebrate 75 years of Independence under SpaceKidz India, weighing 8 kg.

Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

• SSLV is a rocket that is designed to orbit satellites weighing less than 500kg in Low Earth Orbit and 300 kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO).
• It is a 3 stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages and liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.

Key Features

• SSLV is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO.
• It will take only 72 hours to integrate, unlike the 70 days taken now for a launch vehicle. Only six people will be required to do the job, instead of 60 people.
• The other features include: flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, Launch on demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc.

Significance

Seamless launch of small satellites

• The SSLV is intended to cater to a market for the launch of small satellites into low earth orbits with a quick turn-around time.
• Suited for launching multiple microsatellites & supports multiple orbital drop-offs.
• Shift the burden of commercial launches from PSLV
• The SSLV is likely to cost a fourth of the current PSLV.

Source: Indian Express

The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (2018)

1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.
2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors; and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 2
4. 3 only