Indian Space Research Organisation’s latest 175.5 kg Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-08) was launched by the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 on Friday at 9.17 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. The ‘co-passenger’ in the flight was 0.2 kg SR-0 DEMOSAT of the Chennai-based Space Kidz India.

SSLV-D3 was the third and final developmental flight of SSLV, which is the youngest and tiniest rocket in the series. The first flight of the SSLV on August 7, 2022 ended in failure but its second flight on February 10, 2023 was a success.

The SSLV is capable of launching mini, micro or nano satellites (10 to 500 kg mass) into a 500-km planar orbit. It was a three-state launch vehicle with all solid propulsion stages and liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module as terminal state.

Published on August 16, 2024