The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully lau♊nched an earth observation satellite, on board the third and final development flight of the SSLV-03 (Small Satellite Launch Vehicle) on Friday.
The launch took place at 9:17 am from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan♔ Space Centre ཧin Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The space agency shared that the SSLV-D3 plac🌱ed EOS-08 precisely into the orbit, marking the successful completion of ISRO/DOS's SSLV Development Project.
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The SSLV-D3-EOS-08 mission comes after the successful launch of the second test flight of the Sma꧃ll Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2-EOS-07) in February, 2023.
This mission is the third mission of 2024 for the space age💛ncy after the successful PSLV-C58/XpoSat 𝔍mission in January and GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS missions in February.
Sharing an update about the mission, ISRO had earlier posted on X, "ꦜSix-and-a-half-hour countdown leading to the laun🤪ch commenced at 02:47 hrs IST."
The smallest SSLV rocket, about 34 metres in height, was earlier planned to be launched on August 15 at 9💫:17 am but, was later rescheduled to August 16 at 9:19 am.
The mission is a boost to the commercial branꦫch of ISRO -- NewSpace India Ltd -- to take up commercial launches using Small Satellite Launch Vehicles with t✱he industry.
"Wiꦫth technology transfer, the Indian industry and @NSIL_India will now produce SSLV for commercial missions," ISRO said in an X post shortly afterꦇ the lift-off.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO for th💖is "remarkable miles﷽tone".
In a post on microblogging si🔜te X, PM Modi said, "Congratulations to our scientists and industry for this f🍰eat. It is a matter of immense joy that India now has a new launch vehicle."
"The cost-effective SSLV will play an🤪 important role in space missions and will also encourage private industry. My best wishes to @isro, @INSPACeIND, @NSI🍷L_India and the entire space industry.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu congratulated ISRO on successfully launching the SSLV-D3-EOS-08 and termed the milesౠtone as an achievement which strengthens the nation's small satellites capability.
"A moment of glory for India's space prowess! Congratulations to ISRO on the 🍸successful launch of SSLV-D3🅠-EOS-08 from Sriharikota today," Naidu said in a post on X.
He further said, "This milestone achievement stre♎ngthens India's small satellite capabilities and empowers NewSpace India Ltd for future commercial launches. I extend my best wish𓃲es to Team ISRO for their future endeavours."
The space agency said that the primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creatin🍌g payload instruments com🌞patible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites.
With🦂 EOS-08, ISRO completes the developmental flight of the smallest rocket which can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg and can place them into Low Earth Orbit 9of up to 500 km above Earth).
The EOS-08 -- built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus -- carries three payloads, namely theꦛ Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R) and SiC UV Dosimeter.
Of these, the EOIR 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, enviro🌊nmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.
Meanwhile, the GNSS-R payload shows the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensi🤡ng for application such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.
Lastly, the th♈ird payload -- SiC UV Dosimeter -- monitors UV irradiance at the viewpoint of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation.
With a mission life of one year, the s♓pacecraft mission configuration is set to operate in a Circular Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 475 km with an inclination of 37.4 degrees.
