India successfully launched SSLV- D2 on the second attempt.
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Credit: ISRO
What's the news:
ISRO has been successfully launched its second SSLV rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on 10 February 2023. It was lifted off at 10:48. Eastern from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, carrying a trio of satellites named EOS-07, Janus-1 & AzaadiSAT-2. These trio satellites are launched with SSLV D2 intended to inject into the 450 km low circular earth orbit with an inclination of 37 degrees. The SSLV-D2 was carrying a total weight of 175.2 kg -- 156.3 kg, EOS-07 10.2 kg, Janus-1, and 8.7 kg AzaadiSAT-2.
AIM of this mission:
According to ISRO mission main objective was to demonstrate the capability of SSLV vehicle system and inject the three satellites into a 450km circular orbit.
SSLV-D2’s payloads
SSLV D2 was carrying three satellites named EOS-07, Janus-1 & AzaadiSAT-2. Each payload was launched with SSLV D2 intending to inject in the low circular earth orbit and carry different - different missions during their whole lifetime.
EOS-07 mission.
EOS-07(Earth Observatory Satellite - 07) was the primary payload designed and realized by ISRO. Its main aim to perform experiments including mm-wave Humidity Sounder and Monitoring Payload during orbiting on the earth low circular orbit.
Janus - 1 mission:
Janus - 1 is a technology demonstrater, smart satellite mission belongs to Antaris software platform, USA.
Janus - 1 is a technology that will demonstrates modules bus, and multi-tenants' payload with onboard edge computing, programmable smart FPS, S/X band SDR, secure TT&C and digital twinning with SaaS platform.
Azaadi SAT - 2 mission:
AzaadiSAT-2 was integrated by the group of almost 750 girls selected from different rural schools across the India. To make this happen, these kids were guided by Space Kidz India, Chennai.
the main aims of this payload is to demonstrates LoRa and Amatuer Radio Communication capabilities, measure radiation level in space, and demonstrates expandable satellite structure, etc.
Credit: NewSpace India Ltd/Department of Space
WHAT IS SSLV-D2 :
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a three-stage launch vehicle designed and developed by ISRO to meet the demand of "launch on demand" and launch up the 500kg satellite to Low Orbit Earth(LOE).
SSLV-D2 is a three-stage vehicle configured with three solid propulsion stages and liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.
Approx weight of SSLV-D2 is around 110 tons, 34-metre length (tall), 2-metre diameter with lift off capability around 120 tons.
SSLV all stages at a glance:
Stage 1:
Length(m) - 22.5 m
Diameter(m)- 2 m
propellent - Solid (HTTPS) based.
propellent mass (t) - 87 tons
Action time (sec) - 115 sec
Stage 2:
Length(m) - 3.2 m
Diameter(m)- 2 m
Propellent - Solid (HTTPS) based.
Propellent mass (t) - 7.7 tons
Action time (sec) - 124 sec
Stage 3:
Length(m) - 2.8 m
Diameter(m)- 1.7 m
propellent - Solid (HTTPS) based.
propellent mass (t) - 4.5 tons
Action time (sec) - 104 sec
Velocity Trimming Module (VTM)
Length(m) - N/A m
Diameter(m)- 2 m
propellent - Liquid (MMH + MON3)
propellent mass (t) - 0.05 tons
Action time (sec) - N/A sec
Features and why ISRO built it:
ISRO developed the SSLV with the aim of launching small satellite commercially at drastically reduced price and higher launch rate compared to PSLV and on the behalf of its many demanded features in the current era of growing space sector.
Some of the features of SSLV-D2 are listed below:
Launch on demand.
Low cost
Low turn-around time
Flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites.
Minimum launch infrastructure requirement.
This launch will help India in gain advantage in the growing competition in the space sector especially in this modern era when nation and private sector are seeking to access space.
ISRO previous attempts:
previous attempt for launching SSLv was made by ISRO on August 07/2020, carrying an EOS-02 and co-passenger student's satellite Azaadi SAT.
Unfortunately, the mission was failed to place the satellites in their required orbits, and the satellite which are already reattached from the launch vehicle. Hence, they were got lost.
What were the problems ?
The problem was caused by VTM stage of SSLV, called the velocity trimming module.
According to ISRO, the VTM was supposed to burnt for 20 second at 653 second after launch but instead of this its burnt only for 0.1seconds which does not let the rocket to achieve requisite altitude boost.
Due to the malfunction of a sensor in the satellites, satellites were resulted to place in the elliptical orbit rather than a circular orbit.
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