ISRO’s SSLV-D2 rocket successfully places 3 satellites into their orbits

Sriharikota: The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle – SSLV-D2 launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Friday successfully placed three satellites EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 into their 450 km circular orbit, said Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

“SLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission is accomplished successfully. SSLV-D2 placed EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 into their intended orbits,” said ISRO.
ISRO launched the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle – SSLV-D2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Friday.

The launch has put ISRO’s earth observation satellite EOS-07 and two co-passenger satellites Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 into a 450 km circular orbit around the Earth.

Soon after the launch, Mission Director, ISRO Vinoth said “Janus 1 satellite separated. SSLV D2 mission accomplished.”

The new vehicle was developed to capture the emerging small and microsatellite commercial market.

Speaking on the occasion, ISRO chief S Somanath said, “Congratulations to all three satellite teams for making the satellites as well as placing them in right orbit. We analysed the problems faced in SSLV-D1, identified corrective actions and implemented them at a very fast pace to ensure the vehicle becomes successful this time.”

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: ISRO launches Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-SSLV-D2- from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota to put three satellites EOS-07, Janus-1 & AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450 km circular orbit pic.twitter.com/kab5kequYF

— ANI (@ANI) February 10, 2023

He said, “Today, after this launch, we are preparing to commence the launch campaign of PSLV-C55. This launch is for NSIL and will probably be launched by the end of March. So the launch campaign will commence today by placing the rocket at launch pedestal in a new facility.”

Somanath said currently ISRO is preparing for the next launch of GSLV Mark III leading to the launch of OneWeb India 236 satellites. This launch will take place around mid-March. He further said ISRO is preparing parallel for the landing demonstration of the reusable launch vehicle. Currently, he said the teams are at the landing site at Chitradurga.

“We are hopeful that everything will be fine in a few days and we’ll be able to do the landing demonstration. This year is going to be filled with a lot of new developments and activities specifically leading to the Gaganyaan program,” added the ISRO chief.

According to ISRO, the second developmental flight of SSLV-D2 was scheduled at 09:18 hours IST from the first launch pad at SDSC SHAR in Sriharikota. SSLV-D2 is intended to inject the EOS-07, Janus-1 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into 450 km circular orbit, in its 15-minute flight.

EOS-07 is a 156.3 kg satellite designed, developed and realized by ISRO. New experiments include mm-Wave Humidity Sounder and Spectrum Monitoring Payload. Janus-1, a 10.2 kg satellite belongs to US-based firm Antaris. It is configured with three solid propulsion stages and a velocity terminal module. It is a 34 m tall, 2 m diameter vehicle having a lift-off mass of 120 t.

Meanwhile, the 8.7 kg satellite AzaadiSAT-2 is a combined effort of about 750 girl students across India guided by Chennai-based Space Kidz India.

SSLV caters to the launch of up to 500 kg satellites to Low Earth Orbits on ‘launch-on-demand’ basis.

The space research body said it provides low-cost access to Space, offers low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, and demands minimal launch infrastructure.

The first test flight of SSLV ended in partial failure on August 9, 2022.