Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), Aug 16
India’s new rocket Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D3) lifted off with an earth observation satellite-08 (EOS-08) weighing 175.5 kg on Friday morning.
Piggybacking on that was another small satellite SR-0 made by a Chennai-based start-up Space Rickshaw SR-0.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed SSLV with a carrying capacity of 500 kg to the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) based on the market trend of going in for smaller satellites.
At about 9.17 a.m., the 34-metre tall and about 119-ton expendable rocket costing about Rs 56 crore broke free of the first launch pad and started its one-way journey upwards.
The rocket with a thick orange flame at its tail slowly gathered speed and went up and up.
As to the mission's objectives, ISRO said that it will complete the SSLV Development Project and enable operational missions by Indian industry and the public sector NewSpace India Ltd.
About 13 minutes into its flight, the SSLV rocket will eject EOS-08 and about three minutes later the SR-0 will be separated. Both the satellites will separate from the rocket at an altitude of 475 km.
For the city-based space sector start-up Space Rickshaw, the SR-0 will be its first satellite.
Meanwhile, the primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites, ISRO said.
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.