The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO's) Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) has failed to place the satellites Microsat 2A and AzaadiSAT into the intended circular orbit. As a result, the satellites are no longer usable, ISRO said in a mission update.
SSLV-D1, the maiden mission of India's smallest launch vehicle that took flight on Sunday, August 7, was supposed to place the two satellites into a 356-kilometre circular orbit. However, the satellites have instead been placed into a 356 km × 76 km elliptical orbit. ISRO said that the issue is reasonably identified, and that the "failure of a logic to identify a sensor failure and go for a salvage action caused the deviation".
The space agency also wrote that a committee would analyse the situation and make recommendations.
ISRO said that the space agency will soon launch SSLV-D2, the second flight of India's latest launch vehicle.
"With the implementation of the recommendations, ISRO will come back soon with SSLV-D2," ISRO stated.
The SSLV-D1 mission took off from First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 9:18 am IST. The primary payload of SSLV was Microsat 2A, an Earth Observation Satellite also known as EOS-02. AzaadiSAT, an eight-kilogram CubeSat built by 750 girl students from 75 schools across India, was also launched into space as a co-passenger on India's latest launch vehicle.
SSLV is a three-stage launch vehicle configured with three solid propulsion stages and a terminal stage. A solid propulsion rocket stage uses solid propellants as the fuel. The terminal stage is a liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM).
The first, second, and third stages weigh 87 tonnes, 7.7 tonnes, and 4.5 tonnes, respectively.
According to ISRO, SSLV has a diameter of 2.1 metres and a length of 34 metres. The liftoff mass of the launch vehicle is approximately 120 tonnes.