ISRO arm targets 10 commercial SSLV launches by 2026
Recently New Space India Limited (NSIL) has set a target of launching 10 commercial Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) by the year 2026.
- New Space India Limited (NSIL) is a commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) under the Department of Space.
- It is the only nodal agency to provide end-to-end SSLV launch services for customer satellites.
- SSLV is a three stage launch vehicle. All three stages are solid propellant stages. Its terminal stage is a liquid propulsion based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM).
- Its diameter is 2 meters and length is 34 meters. Also, its lift off capacity is around 120 tonnes.
- It is capable of launching mini, micro or nano satellites (masses from 10 to 500 kg) into low-Earth orbit (LEO) up to 500 km. It aims to meet the emerging market demand for launching small satellites into LEOs.
- Through SSLV, India can increase its share in the $360 billion global space economy to more than 10%. Currently this share is around 2%.
Advantages of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)
- Its turnaround time is less.
- It is cost effective.
- Can provide launch services on demand basis.
- Requires fewer infrastructures and less manpower.
- Unlike PSLV and GSLV, SSLV can be assembled both vertically and horizontally.
Different types of space orbits –
- Geostationary orbit (GEO): Satellites placed in GEO orbit orbit the Earth above the equator from west to east in line with the Earth’s rotation. This makes satellites in GEO appear to be ‘fixed’ in a fixed position.
- Low Earth orbit (LEO): The LEO orbit is relatively close to the Earth’s surface. It is generally 1000 km from the earth. Located at an altitude of. However, it can also occur at low altitudes of 160 km.
- Polar Orbit: Satellites in polar orbits orbit north to south rather than west to east, usually passing over Earth’s poles.
- Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO): SSO is a special type of polar orbit. In this, the satellites orbiting over the poles remain in synchronous state with the Sun.
Source – Live Mint
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