The ISRO on Friday launched its third and final developmental flight, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-D3, carrying Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08.
The rocket lifted off majestically from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, situated about 135 km east of Chennai at a pre-fixed time of 9.17 am.
The objectives of the LV-D3-EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite and creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said.
Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads--Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R) and SiC UV Dosimeter.
The EOIR payload is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.
The GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.
The SiC UV Dosimeter monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation.
Three-stage rocket
The SSLV is a three-stage rocket, with the first three stages powered by solid propellant. The final stage, known as the terminal stage, features a liquid propulsion system called the Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) and a payload adapter. The VTM is used to adjust the rocket's speed when needed, while the payload adapter securely attaches the payloads to the top of the rocket, ensuring their safe delivery into space.
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The VTM makes adjustments by releasing small amounts of liquid fuel to create thrust. This thrust can either increase or decrease the rocket's speed, allowing precise control over its velocity. By carefully managing these bursts of thrust, the VTM helps guide the rocket into its intended orbit.
The rocket is 2.1 meters wide and 34 meters long, with a liftoff weight of about 120 tonnes. It offers different options for mounting various types of satellites, including nanosatellites (1 to 10 kilograms), microsatellites (10 to 100 kilograms), and mini-satellites (100 to 500 kilograms).
(With inputs from Abhinav Singh)