SRIHARIKOTA: S Somanath, ISRO Chairman S Somnath on Sunday announced that the space agency's maiden Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) had experienced "data loss" in the terminal stage, adding that although the three stages were "performed and separated", the space agency was analyzing the data to ascertain the situation. of vehicles and satellites.
SSLV-D1/EOS 02 had an earth observation satellite and a student satellite as luggage.
"All stages performed as expected. The first stage performed and separated, the second stage performed and separated, the third stage also performed and separated, and in the terminal phase of the mission, some data loss is occurring and we are analysing the data and we will come back on the status of the satellites as well as the vehicle performance soon," Somanath said from the Mission Control Centre here, minutes after the launch vehicle lifted off from the spaceport.
"We are currently in the process of analysing the data to conclude on the final outcome of the mission with respect to stable orbit achieved or not, please wait and we will come back," he added jubilant mood in the Mission Control Centre soon making way to anxiety before Somanath updated about the mission status.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its maiden Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) mission on Sunday, carrying Earth observation satellite EOS-02 and companion student satellite AzaadiSAT.
The Indian Space Agency's SSLV-D1/EOS-02 mission aims to grab a bigger pie in the small launch vehicle market as it can put satellites into low Earth orbit.
At the end of a seven-and-a-half-hour countdown, the 34-metre-long SSLV soared majestically at 9.18 am amid cloudy skies to place the satellites into the intended orbit.
The EOS-02 is an experimental optical remote sensing satellite with a high spatial resolution.
It is to realise and fly an experimental imaging satellite with a short turnaround time and to demonstrate launch-on-demand capability.
EOS-02 belongs to the microsatellite series of space crafts.
The AzaadiSAT is an 8U Cubesat weighing around 8kgs.
It carries 75 different payloads each weighing around 50grams.
750 girls from rural areas across the country were guided to build these payloads.
The payloads are assembled by the student team of 'Space Kidz India'.
The ground system developed by 'Space Kidz India' will be used to receive data from this satellite, ISRO said.
With PTI inputs