SRIHARIKOTA: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), marking a significant milestone in its space exploration efforts. The launch took place at 9:17 am IST from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, located about 135 km east of Chennai.The SSLV-D3 rocket carried the primary Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-08, and successfully placed it into its intended orbit. The mission also included a SR-O DEMOSAT satellite developed by Space Kidz India, weighing 200 grams, which separated successfully within minutes of the main payload. The successful completion of this mission signifies the end of the SSLV developmental flights and sets the stage for commercial launches.”The third developmental flight of SSLV is successful. The SSLV-D3 placed EOS-08 precisely into the orbit. This marks the successful completion of ISRO/DOS’s SSLV Development Project. With technology transfer, the Indian industry and @NSIL_India will now produce SSLV for commercial missions,” ISRO stated in a post on X.The SSLV-D3 mission, initially scheduled for August 15, was rescheduled by 24 hours and launched within a 60-minute window. Despite the maiden mission of the SSLV in August 2022 falling short of its objectives, the subsequent flight, SSLV-D2-EOS-07 in February 2023, was a success.The SSLV rocket, measuring 34 meters in height, is designed to place mini, micro, or nano satellites weighing up to 500 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at altitudes below 500 km. The rocket’s design features three solid propulsion stages and a liquid module as a terminal stage, offering low-cost access to space, minimal launch infrastructure, and flexible, on-demand launches.
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