ISRO to transfer SSLV to private sector
The Hindu
The ISRO will soon transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector, after conducting two development flights of the rocket that seeks to provide on-demand services to put satellites weighing up to 500 kg in a low-earth orbit.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector, after conducting two development flights of the rocket that seeks to provide on-demand services to put satellites weighing up to 500 kg in a low-earth orbit.
The space agency has decided to opt for the bidding route to transfer the mini-rocket to the industry, a senior official said.
"We will be transferring the SSLV completely to the private sector. Not just the manufacturing, but full transfer," the official said.
The maiden flight of the SSLV in August last year was a failure due to vibration disturbance for a short duration on the Equipment Bay deck during the second-stage separation.
The ISRO took corrective actions after conducting an in-depth analysis of the fault and carried out a successful launch of the SSLV in February.
The SSLV injected the ISRO's EOS-07 satellite, US-based firm Antaris' Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start-up Space Kidz's AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450-km circular orbit.
Small rockets, such as the SSLV, target nano and micro-satellites, which weigh less than 10 kg and 100 kg respectively, and offer on-demand launch services, without requiring clients to wait for larger rockets to carry them as co-passengers.

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