The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday launched its Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) on a small rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

1. The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) carried an experimental earth imaging satellite named EOS-8 and SR-0 Demo Sat which was made by a Chennai-based start-up Space Rickshaw.

2. The mini rocket which weighs 120 tonnes can carry satellites weighing about 500 kilograms into space in a low Earth orbit. In comparison, India’s heaviest rocket the Bahubali or the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk 3) weighs 640 tonnes.

3. Keeping in line with ISRO’s mission to mount cheap yet effective space missions, the SSLV was readied at a total cost of over ₹ 170 crore and took over seven years to build.

4. While ISRO has not revealed the cost of the launch, analysts estimate that each SSLV rocket will cost about ₹ 30-35 crore per launch making it one of the cheapest launchers in its class.

5. A unique instrument on board the EOS8 satellite will measure UV light exposure to surfaces. This technology will be used on India’s first manned space mission Gaganyaan to measure cancer-causing UV light exposure to the astronauts.

6. The mini rocket has been praised by ISRO Chairman Dr S. Somanath for its “simplicity and production friendliness”. He called the rocket a game changer in the industry, which would help build future commercial launchers of India.

7. “SSLV is designed for large-scale production, flexible integration and minimal tests prior to launch. In fact, full rocket can be rested and kept in storage,” Mr Somanath said.

8. Last year, in an effort to privatise India’s space programme, the Centre opened opening to build the small satellite launch rocket which attracted initial interest from 20 companies.

9. According to a Bloomberg report, the global small satellite industry was estimated at $3.25 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to hit $13.71 billion by 2030. Hence, the promise of commercialisation of SSLV is huge.  
    

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Bengaluru:

ISRO on Monday said its latest earth observation satellite EOS-08 will now be launched onboard the third and final developmental flight of its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3 on August 16.

The space agency had earlier announced that the launch will be on August 15.

ISRO did not cite any reason for the delay.

SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission:

The launch of the third developmental flight of SSLV is scheduled for August 16, 2024, in a launch window of one hour starting at 09:17 Hrs. IST pic.twitter.com/JWxq9X6rjk

— ISRO (@isro) August 12, 2024

The primary objectives of the EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said.

“SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission: The launch of the third developmental flight of SSLV is scheduled for August 16, 2024, in a launch window of one hour starting at 09:17 Hrs. IST,” ISRO posted on social media platform X.

The launch is from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The mission completes the SSLV Development Project and enables operational missions by Indian industry and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).

Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter.

The spacecraft has a mission life of one year. It has a mass of approximately 175.5 kg and generates power of around 420 W. The satellite interfaces with the SSLV-D3/IBL-358 launch vehicle, ISRO said.

The EOIR payload 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, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring, according to the space agency.

The GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.

The SiC UV Dosimeter monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation.

According to ISRO, EOS-08 marks a significant advancement in satellite mainframe systems such as an Integrated Avionics system, known as the Communication, Baseband, Storage and Positioning (CBSP) Package, which combines multiple functions into a single efficient unit.

“This system is designed with cold redundant systems using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components and evaluation boards, supporting up to 400 gb of data storage. Additionally, the satellite includes a structural panel embedded with PCB, an embedded battery, a Micro-DGA (Dual Gimbal Antenna), an M-PAA (Phased Array Antenna), and a flexible solar panel, each serving as key components for onboard technology demonstration, it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)