Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday tasted maiden success in the small satellite launch vehicle segment, with its SSLV D2 rocket injecting three satellites into an intended circular orbit, months after the maiden mission failed to bring in the desired results. Buoyed by Friday’s success, the premier agency said the launch has “set the tone” for its activities this year, dotted with a number of proposed PSLV and GSLV missions, among others. The payloads launched by SSLV D2 rocket on Friday included ISRO’s earth observation satellite EOS-07. ISRO’s first mission in 2023 and SSLV’s August 2022 sequel saw a strange coincidence--a 9.18 AM launch, the same time the vehicle lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here on August 7 last but could not deliver due to orbit anomaly and flight path deviation.

 

With the earlier SSLV not living up to the expectations, ‘corrective measures’ were put in its successor. A visibly relieved Chairman of the Indian Space Research Oragnisation (ISRO), S Somanath said SSLV in its second flight put the three satellites in the intended orbit accurately. Recalling the rocket’s maiden flight, SSLV D 1, Somanath said “we had a narrow miss of placing the satellite in the orbit because of the shortfall in velocity.” Mission Director S Vinod said the ISRO team made a “comeback” is short time soon after the August 7, 2022 launch. ISRO now has a “new launch vehicle” on offer for the launch vehicle community, he added. With this launch, ISRO has accomplished the laid objective of SSLV, “that is to have a low-cost low turnaround time satellite which can offer launch on demand,” he said.