ISRO's maiden small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV), carrying earth observation satellite EOS-02 and co-passenger students satellite AzaadiSAT, ran into trouble on August 7 after it suffered data loss in the final phase. The rocket, touted to be the smallest rocket, lifted off from the Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday. The SSLV-D1/EOS-02 mission by the Indian space agency is aimed at garnering a larger pie in the small launch vehicles market, as ite can place the satellites into Low Earth Orbit.
The much touted launch however ran into trouble on its maiden run after facing reported loss of data in the termination phase of the flight. ISRO scientists and engineers are presently trying to understand if the 120 tonne Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) was able to inject the two satellites onboard into a stable orbit. Until this becomes clear, the mission cannot be declared a success.
"SSLV-D1 performed as expected at all stages. In the terminal phase of the mission, some data loss is occurring. We are analysing the data to conclude the final outcome of the mission with respect to achieving a stable orbit," ISRO chairman S Somanath told the media.
What is ISRO's mew SSLV?
As per ISRO, the SSLV can put payloads (mini, micro or nanosatellites) weighing upto 500 kg into the 500 km planar orbit. The main payload on the 34-metre-tall rocket is the earth observation-02 satellite and co-passenger satellite AzaadiSAT, an 8-kg Cubesat named 'AzaadiSAT' designed by the girl students from government schools across the country to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.
The EOS-02, an experimental optical remote sensing satellite with a high spatial resolution. It is to realise and fly an experimental imaging satellite with a short-turnaround time and to demonstrate launch-on-demand capability. EOS-02 belongs to the microsatellite series of space crafts.
The payloads are integrated by the student team of 'Space Kidz India'. The ground system developed by 'Space Kidz India' will be utilised for receiving the data from this satellite, ISRO said.
New ISRO rocket suffers data loss: What Ex-Chief Dr Madhavan Nair had to say
The preliminary finding on the status of the mission should be available in "few hours", Dr Madhavan Nair, ex-ISRO chief, was quoted by NDTV as saying, Further noting that the mission is a complex one, Nair said, "Thousands of pages of data will be pouring in. Several specialists will have to go through these data. Apparently, everything went well up to the third stage. There is some deviation in the path in the final phase of the launch and that could be one reason or otherwise, there could be some anomaly during separation," he said.
The detailed finding will be available by a week, he said.
What is AzaadiSAT?
Developed by the student team of 'Space Kidz India', an aerospace organisation that aims to create government school students with basic understanding and knowledge of space, AzaadiSAT is the result of the collaboration of 750 school students who were also present at the Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday to witness the historic SSLV-D1 launch. This was the maiden launch of SSLV by the space agency after the successful mission launches through its trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV), Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
The objective of the EOS-02, the second most important passenger on the rocket, is meant to to provide inputs on thermal anomalies towards supporting applications in the domains of geo-environmental studies, forestry, hydrology, agriculture, soil, and coastal studies.
Third time unlucky?
Sunday's mission of ISRO is the third this year after the successful PSLV-C53 mission on June 30, which is the dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Ltd.
On February 14, ISRO successfully placed earth observation satellite EOS-04 on board its trusted workhorse PSLV-C52/EOS-04 mission.
The radar imaging satellite was designed to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry and plantations
(With inputs from Agencies)
