Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

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    Recently ,the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) announced that indigenous Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will have its maiden development flight in April 2022. 

    • The SSLV-D1 Micro SAT will be launched in April 2022.

     

    Image Courtesy:nsilindia

    About 

    • Dr  S Somanath (New Chairman of ISRO ) is credited with designing and developing the SSLV during his tenure as director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram since 2018.
      • The maiden flight of the SSLV was scheduled to launch in July 2019 but that has since been delayed due to setbacks from Covid-19 and other issues.
    • Nodel agency : NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) under Department of Space will be the sole nodal agency responsible for providing end to end SSLV  launch services for the customer satellite .
    • SSLV has been designed to meet “Launch on Demand” requirements in a cost-effective manner..
    •  It is a 3 stage all solid vehicle and it is the smallest vehicle at 110-ton mass at ISRO. 
    • It can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg to a low earth orbit while the tried and tested PSLV can launch satellites weighing in the range of 1000 kg.
    • 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 entire job will be done in a very short time and the cost will be only around Rs 30 crore. It will be an on-demand vehicle.
    • SSLV is perfectly suited for launching multiple microsatellites at a time and supports multiple orbital drop-offs. 

    Image Courtesy:nsilindia

    • Aims: 
      • The primary aim of the project is the development of a cost-effective launch vehicle with a high launch frequency and a quick turnaround capability to cater to the growing opportunities in the global launch services market for small satellites
      • To create greater synergy between the space sector and private Indian industries .
    • Commercial booking and Agreements
      • The SSLV received a commercial booking from US space launch services intermediary Spaceflight Inc in 2019.
    • ISRO had signed six agreements with four countries for launching foreign satellites between 2021 and 2023. 
      • €132 million would be earned through the launch of these satellites. 

    About Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

    • It is the third generation launch vehicle of India.
    • It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
    • After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as the reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India with 39 consecutively successful missions by June 2017.
    • The vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft – Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 – that later travelled to Moon and Mars respectively.
    • Difference: PSLV was developed to launch low-Earth Orbit satellites into polar and sun synchronous orbits whereas GSLV was developed to launch the heavier INSAT class of geosynchronous satellites into orbit.

    What is Low-Earth orbit ? 

    • Low-Earth orbit (often known as LEO) encompasses Earth-centered orbits with an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 mi) or less.

    Source:IE

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