Delhi, India, February 10, 2023: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched its new rocket, SSLV-D2, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The rocket carried three mini, micro, and nanosatellites into a 450-kilometer circular orbit around the Earth in just 15 minutes.
The three satellites in orbit are ISRO’s EOS-07, Antaris’ Janus-1, and SpaceKidz’s AzaadiSAT-2, developed by 750 girl students from across India.
ISRO announced the successful launch on their official Twitter handle: “Mission is accomplished successfully.” SSLV-D2 placed EOS-07, Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2 into their intended orbits.
The new vehicle, SSLV-D2, was designed to capture the growing market for small and microsatellites. It was the second developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle and provides low-cost access to space with a low turnaround time and the ability to accommodate multiple satellites.
The first test flight of SSLV was on August 9, but it ended in partial failure as the rocket failed to place its satellite payload into the intended orbit.
SSLV is capable of launching up to 500 kg of satellites into low Earth orbits on a “launch-on-demand” basis with minimal launch infrastructure required. This is a significant achievement for ISRO, which is positioning itself as a leader in the global space industry.
