The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched SSLV-D2, the second iteration of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, on February 10, 2023, at 9:18 a.m. IST (SSLV).

ISRO's smallest launch vehicle is the SSLV. The SSLV-D2 or EOS-07 mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre's First Launch Pad in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The SSLV's first mission, launched on August 7, 2022, was unsuccessful in putting its payloads in the desired orbit.

The goal of SSLV-D1, the program's initial test flight, was to launch two satellites into a 356-kilometer circular orbit. The satellites were instead put into an elliptical orbit, measuring 356 km by 76 km. 

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According to ISRO, the problem had been reasonably diagnosed, and the deviation was due to "a logic failure to identify a sensor failure and go for a salvage step."

According to ISRO Chairman S. Somanath, the SSLV-D2 mission, the second developmental flight of SSLV, will be launched soon by the Indian space agency. 

He added that SSLV-D2 is ISRO's attempt to entirely succeed in demonstrating SSLV's capabilities to deploy satellites into the specified orbit for commercial purposes.

The 15-minute SSLV-D2 mission will launch the EOS-07 (Earth Observation Satellite-07), Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450-kilometer orbit.

Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3), Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and GSLV Mark III are five launch vehicle versions that ISRO has successfully developed over the years.

 These launch vehicles have met the needs of the country's development while allowing ISRO to advance and master critical technologies for cryogenic, liquid, and solid-state propulsion systems.

To serve the growing global market for small satellite launch services, ISRO created SSLV. The ability to start SSLV on demand exists.

What is SSLV?

Three solid propulsion stages plus a terminal stage make up the three stages of the SSLV, a three-stage launch vehicle. Solid propellants are the fuel used in solid propulsion rocket stages. The final stage is a Velocity Trimming Module powered by liquid propulsion (VTM).

The SSLV has a 34-meter length and a 2.1-meter diameter, according to ISRO. The launch vehicle has a liftoff mass of about 120 tonnes. The launch vehicle can send payloads to low-Earth orbit weighing up to 500 kg (LEO).

The main advantages of SSLV are its low price, adaptability to accommodate many satellites, the possibility of "launch on demand," quick turnaround times, little launch infrastructure needs, and higher output rates from industries.

SSLV has the minimum launch pad occupancy, which enables the vehicle's assembly and subsequent launch to be finished in less than 24 hours.

For nanosatellites, microsatellites, and minisatellites, SSLV offers a variety of satellite mounting solutions. The launch vehicle can launch a single satellite of up to 500 kg into a 500-kilometer planar orbit.

To reach a Sun-synchronous orbit, SSLV can lift a payload weighing up to 300 kilograms (SSO).

With a payload adapter, the Velocity Trimming Module (VLT) is ready for use. The terms SS1, SS2, and SS3 refer to the first, second, and third stages.

The SSLV's first stage is similar to the Agni-3 and Agni-5 IRBM (Intermediate-range Ballistic Missile) motors but has a novel design, according to Gunter's Space Page.

The SSLV-D2 Mission in Detail

The SSLV-D2 mission aims to inject an Earth observation satellite and two passenger spacecraft into a 450.7-kilometer circular orbit while demonstrating the SSLV's specified payload capability in low-Earth orbit.

The ISRO created and constructed the satellite EOS-07. It is 156.3 kilos in weight. It was created at the U R Rao Satellite Center (URSC), an ISRO facility for designing, creating, and developing Indian spacecraft. About 13 minutes after launch, EOS-7 is meant to be put into orbit.

Antaris, a satellite software pioneer with headquarters in the US, is the owner of Janus-1. It is 11.5 kilos in weight. About 95 seconds after EOS-07 is successfully put in the intended orbit, the satellite will be launched into orbit.

Around 750 female students from all around India created the AzaadiSAT-2. Chennai's Space Kidz India led them. AzaadiSAT-2 is 8.7 kg in weight.