ISRO’s SSLV successfully launches earth observation satellite into orbit

• ISRO launched the EOS-08 Earth Observation Satellite onboard the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Highlights:

• The third developmental flight of SSLV, the SSLV-D3 with the EOS-08 satellite, has been successfully accomplished.
• The rocket has placed the spacecraft in a very precise orbit as planned.
• EOS-08 is a first-of-its-kind mission built on a standard ISRO’s Microsat/IMS-1 bus with a suite of advanced payloads for observation in the IR range, novel GNSS-R Payload and SiC UV dosimeter.
• The satellite carries a host of new technology developments in satellite mainframe systems like an Integrated Avionics system
• The satellite carries three payloads, namely Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), SAC, Global Navigation Satellite System- Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), SAC and SiC UV Dosimeter, LEOS.
• The EOIR payload is to image in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) band and long-wave IR (LWIR) band during day and night for various applications like Satellite-based surveillance, Disaster Monitoring, Environmental Monitoring, Fire Detection, Volcanic activities and Industrial and power plant disaster.
• GNSS-R payload is to demonstrate the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing to derive applications like Ocean Surface Winds, Soil moisture, Cryosphere applications over the Himalayan Region, Flood detection, In-land water body detection, etc.
• SiC UV Dosimeter is to monitor the UV irradiance at the View Port of the Crew Module in Gaganyaan Mission and to be used as a high-dose alarm sensor for UV Radiation.
• The spacecraft mission configuration is set to operate in a Circular Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 475 km with an inclination of 37.4° and has a mission life of 1 year.
• Also onboard was the SR-0 DEMOSAT developed by Space Kidz India which was also placed in the intended orbit.

SSLV

• The SSLV is capable of launching Mini, Micro or Nanosatellites (10 to 500kg mass) into a 500 km planar orbit. SSLV is a three-stage launch vehicle with all solid propulsion stages and a liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.
• According to ISRO, the design drivers of SSLV are low cost, low turn-around time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc.

Prelims Takeaway

• SSLV
• EOS