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Doubts over ISRO’S main Launch Vehicle in the Coming Years

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Doubts over ISRO’S main Launch Vehicle in the Coming Years

  • हाल ही में, ISRO ने सतीश धवन अंतरिक्ष केंद्र, श्रीहरिकोटा (AP) के पहले लॉन्च पैड से नव विकसित लघु उपग्रह प्रक्षेपण यान (SSLV-D1) की पहली उड़ान शुरू की।
  • यह दो उपग्रहों को ले जा रहा था, जिसमें EOS-02 नामक एक पृथ्वी अवलोकन सूक्ष्म उपग्रह भी शामिल था।
  • भू प्रेक्षण उपग्रह, EOS-02, वजन 145 किग्रा
  • स्पेस किड्ज इंडिया के तहत 750 स्कूली छात्राओं द्वारा स्वतंत्रता के 75 वर्ष मनाने के लिए बनाई गई आज़ादीसैट, जिसका वजन 8 किलो है
  • अपने तीन चरणों के सफल उत्थापन और पृथक्करण के बाद, उड़ान अपने निर्धारित पथ से भटक गई, प्रक्षेपण यान ने "उपग्रहों को 356 किमी वृत्ताकार कक्षा के बजाय 356 किमी x 76 किमी अण्डाकार कक्षा में" रख दिया।

Small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV)

  • It is configured with three solid stages and a liquid fuel-based velocity trimming module (VTM) to place a satellite in orbit
  • It is capable of launching Mini, Micro, or Nanosatellites (10 to 500 kg mass) to a 500 km planar orbit.
  • Features: low turn-around time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, minimal launch infrastructure requirements, etc.

How is different from other satellite launching vehicles

  • It is the smallest vehicle weighing only 110-tonne. It can be assembled in only 72 hours by a team of just 5-6 people., unlike nearly 70-80 days are taken for a launch vehicle
  • It can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg to a low earth orbit while the tried and tested Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) can launch satellites weighing in the range of 1000 kg.

Era of small satellites

  • The demand for the launch of small satellites has increased at a rapid pace in the last eight to ten years, thanks to the ever-growing need for space-based data, communication, surveillance, and commerce.
  • Even space-based organizations are creating a constellation of satellites in space. Projects like Starlink of SpaceX or OneWeb are putting together a constellation of hundreds of satellites to provide space-based internet services.
  • Estimates suggest that tens of thousands of small satellites would be launched in the next ten years.
  • As a result, the demand for dedicated rockets that can be launched frequently, and can offer cheap rides to space, is growing. This is also a lucrative business opportunity for agencies with launching capability like ISRO, because most of the demand comes from companies that are launching satellites for commercial purposes.
  • Several new players, both in the government as well as private sector, have begun to offer launching services. In India, where the space sector is fast being opened up for the private sector

Conclusion

  • Therefore, SSLV will be a milestone in ISRO’s launching vehicle which will help in launching the small and micro satellites (constitute over 90 per cent of all satellites being launched these days) in cost-effective and timely manner and it will also help in participation of private sector which will bring technology, investment and skilled manpower in space sector.

Prelims Take Away

  • ISRO
  • SSLV
  • PSLV
  • VTM
  • EOS
  • AzaadiSat

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