According to a senior official, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has opted to go the tendering route to transfer the mini-rocket to industry. After two development flights, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will shortly hand over its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector. The rocket aims to provide on-demand services to place satellites weighing up to 500 kg in low-Earth orbit.
ISRO to Transfer SSLV to Private Sector
According to a senior official, the space agency has opted to go with the bidding method to transfer the mini-rocket to industry. “We will completely transfer the SSLV to the private sector.” “Not just manufacturing, but complete transfer,” the official stated. The SSLV’s maiden flight in August of last year was a failure due to a short period of vibration disruption on the Equipment Bay deck during the second-stage separation.
Following an in-depth examination of the issue, the ISRO made corrective procedures and successfully launched the SSLV in February. The SSLV placed the ISRO’s EOS-07 satellite, Antaris’ Janus-1 satellite, and Space Kidz’s AzaadiSAT-2 satellite in a 450-kilometre circular orbit. Small rockets, such as the SSLV, target nano and micro-satellites weighing less than 10 kg and 100 kg, respectively, and provide on-demand launch services, eliminating the need for clients to wait for larger rockets to take them as co-passengers.
Last year, the ISRO granted a contract to a consortium of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro to develop five polar satellite launch vehicles (PSLVs), its workhorse rocket with 54 successful flights. According to a recent estimate released by the Indian Space Association and consultancy company EY India, commercial satellite launch services might contribute $13 billion to India’s domestic space industry by 2025.
After the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3), Advanced Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3), the SSLV was the ISRO’s sixth launch vehicle. The SLV-3 and ASLV have subsequently been decommissioned.
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