ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-D3 Launch Successful, Places Earth Observation Satellite Into Orbit

New Delhi: ISRO successfully placed an Earth observation and SR-O DEMOSAT satellites into its orbit through the successful launch of its third and final flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-D3. This rocket transported Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08.

The SSLV rocket was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at of 9.17 am on Thursday.

The objectives of the SSLV-D3-EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite and creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, said ISRO.

Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads–Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R) and SiC UV Dosimeter.

The EOIR payload is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring. The first flight of the SSLV in 2022 was a failure. Its second launch on February 10 in 2023 was successful. ISRO envisions to transfer the SSLV technology to the industry after the third flight.

The ISRO feels that SSLV can be a commercial success in future. It can also be used as a missile.

Dr S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says, “By its sheer simplicity and production friendliness, SSLV will be a game changer in the industry production and launch goal for commercial launchers of India.”

With the SSLV India plans to enter the small satellite launch market in a big way. The SSLV has been designed by ISRO eyeing the rising global market for small satellites.

The SSLV rocket is 34 metres high, and weighs 120 tonnes. It can carry about 500 kilograms into space in a low Earth orbit of about 350-400 kilometres above Earth.