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The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Sunday (August 7, 2022) launched India’s first Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) carrying the Earth observation satellite EOS-02 and the student satellite AzaadiSAT. The rocket lifted off at 9:18 am from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SHAR) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. However, the space agency’s first SSLV suffered “data loss” in the terminal phase.
“All the phases went as expected. The first stage went and separated, the second stage conducted and separated, the third stage also conducted and separated, and in the terminal phase of the mission there is a loss of data and we are analyzing the data and we will soon come back to the status of the satellites and also to vehicle performance,” ISRO chairman S Somanath said from the mission control center minutes after the launch vehicle lifted off from the spaceport.
SSLV-D1/EOS-02 Mission: Maiden flight of SSLV is completed. All stages performed as expected. Data loss is observed during the terminal stage. It is being analysed. Will be updated soon.
— ISRO (@isro) August 7, 2022
ISRO’s SSLV-D1/EOS-02 mission is aimed at capturing a bigger pie in the small launch vehicle market as it can place satellites in low Earth orbit. SSLV can launch payloads (mini, micro or nanosatellites) weighing up to 500 kg into a 500 km planar orbit.
The 34-meter-tall rocket’s main payload is the Earth observation satellite-02 and companion satellite AzaadiSAT, an 8kg Cubesat designed by women students from government schools across the country to mark India’s 75th independence anniversary.
ISRO EOS-02 is an experimental optical remote sensing satellite
EOS-02 is an experimental optical remote sensing satellite with high spatial resolution. It involves the implementation and flight of an experimental imaging satellite with a short turnaround time and a demonstration of the launch-on-demand capability. EOS-02 belongs to the microsatellite series of spacecraft.
AzaadiSAT is an 8U Cubesat weighing around 8 kg
AzaadiSAT is an 8U Cubesat weighing around 8 kg. It can carry 75 different payloads, each weighing around 50 grams. Female students from rural areas across the country were given instructions to build these payloads.
The payload is being integrated by the student team ‘Space Kidz India’. The ground system developed by ‘Space Kidz India’ will be used to receive data from this satellite.
ISRO’s SSLV-D1/EOS-02 mission is the third this year after the PSLV-C53 mission
Sunday’s mission is ISRO’s third this year after the successful June 30 mission of PSLV-C53, a dedicated commercial mission by NewSpace India Ltd.
On February 14, ISRO successfully placed the EOS-04 Earth observation satellite aboard its PSLV-C52/EOS-04 mission, which is a trusted workhorse.
The radar imaging satellite has been designed to provide high quality imagery in all weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry and plantations.
