Kochi: Indian space agency, ISRO’s maiden developmental flight SSLV-D1 mission launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sreeharikotta, near Chennai, on Sunday encountered problems in putting on the targeted orbit.
The ISRO described the newly launched satellites as no more usable, media reports said.
The launch vehicle carrying a 35 kg EOS -02 a 135 kg satellite and a students’ built eight kg multiple payload AzaadiSAT satellite entered the elliptical orbit of 356 km X 76 km instead of circular orbit instead of circular orbit of 356 km.
All stages functioned normally, but both the satellites entered into the unintended orbit.
This is not the maiden problem. PSLV, one of trusted launchers of the agency, had failed on September 20, 1993.
The earth observation satellite, designed and realised by ISRO, EOS-02, had the ability to offer advanced optical remote sensing operating in infra-red band with high spatial resolution. The agency encountered data loss even as it was on its trajectory.
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) has the ability to launch upto 500 kg satellites to Low Earth Orbits on ‘launch-on-demand’.
A panel will study the issue and make a report based on which ISRO will go ahead with its future launches, the reports said.
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