The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota on Friday morning. The launch vehicle carried three satellites, ISRO’s Earth observation satellite EOS-07 and two companion satellites, Janus-1 and AzaadiSat2. According to a recent update, the three satellites have been placed into their intended 450 km orbit around the Earth. 

This was the second development flight of the LV D2. The first flight on August 7, 2022, was partially unsuccessful. The first flight failed due to orbital anomalies and the rocket’s flight path deviations. For those who don’t know, SSLV’s key features include the following:

• Low-cost access to space.
• Offering short turnaround times and the flexibility to accommodate multiple satellites.
• Requiring minimal launch infrastructure.

Earth observation satellite EOS-07 weighed 156.3 kg and was designed, developed and realized by ISRO. The co-passenger satellite Janus-1 is a 10.2 kg satellite belonging to the American ANTARIS. Another manned satellite, AzaadiSAT-2, weighed 8.7 kg and was completed by a joint effort of about 750 schoolgirls across India guided by Space Kidz India in Chennai, according to ISRO’s official website.

According to ISRO, the SSLV is configured with three solid propulsion stages and a speed termination module. It is a 34-meter-high, 2-meter-diameter vehicle with a take-off mass of 120 tons.