INDIA: On Sunday, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched a milestone mission from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh with a small satellite launch vehicle carrying a student satellite and an earth observation satellite. This was the SSLV’s inaugural flight.
The mission’s countdown, which started at 2:18 am, lasted more than seven hours. There were three phases to the launch. However, shortly after the first three stages were finished, S. Somnath, Secretary of Space and Chairman of ISRO, announced that “some loss of data was being experienced which was hindering in ascertaining the final stages,” adding that the space agency would get back with more information.
The student satellite AzaadiSAT currently carries 75 distinct payloads developed by 750 female students from rural India. Additionally, it aims to honour the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, which the government has designated as “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.” The student team from “Space Kidz India” has integrated the eight-kilogramme satellite.
“750 female students created 75 payloads that were included in a satellite that will launch today.” Before the launch on Sunday, Dr Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of science and technology incubator Space Kidz India, said.
“We wanted to make this 75th year of independence memorable and draw the focus towards girl children,” she added.
The space agency previously stated that the ground system, created by “Space Kidz India,” will be used to receive the data from this satellite.
The space agency has the option to launch tiny, nano, and microsatellites weighing between 10 and 500 kg using the SSLV. These satellites can be launched “on demand” into low Earth orbits.
The EOS-02, a member of the microsatellite family of spacecraft, is designed to support agricultural and emergency management goals. It is said to be an experimental, highly spatially resolved optical remote sensing satellite.
Also Read: ISRO to Launch SSLV on August 7
