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Mahesh

07/03/24 07:07 AM IST

Rocket launchport

In News
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the second rocket launchport of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Kulasekarapattinam.
Need of launchport
  • With the Union government’s recent policy announcing the opening of the space sector to private players, a sharp rise in the number of commercial launches is certain.
  • To ensure that ISRO’s first launchport, the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR in Sriharikota, is not overburdened with a high number of launches, the space agency has decided to build another facility.
  • While SHAR will be only used for launching bigger and heavy-lift-off missions, the Kulasekarapattinam launchport will be used to launch smaller payloads.
  • SHAR will also be available for India’s big ticket missions to the Moon, Venus, and much touted human-flight mission, the Gaganyaan.
  • Private players could develop space-qualified sub-systems, build satellites, and even launch vehicles using the new launchport.
  • It will also facilitate dedicated launch infrastructure for all the on-demand commercial launches.
Location of launchport
  • Geographically, scientifically, and strategically, the Kulasekarapattinam launchport provides a natural advantage to ISRO’s future launches pertaining to the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
  • Allowing a direct southward and smaller launch trajectory for the light weight SSLVs carrying less fuel, the Kulasekarapattinam facility will boost ISRO’s attempts to enhance payload capacities.
  • Currently, the trajectory followed by all launches from SHAR are longer as they follow a path which requires the vehicle to skirt eastwards around Sri Lanka before taking the actual southward flight.
  • This consumes additional fuel.
  • However, the same would not be required for future launches from Kulasekarapattinam, which is geographically located several kilometers to the west of Colombo, thereby allowing a straight southward flight and simultaneously saving the already limited fuel available onboard SSLV.
  • Notably, both the launchports are located on Southern India, near the equator.
  • For a launch site close to equator the magnitude of the velocity imparted due to Earth’s rotation is about 450 m/s, which can lead to substantial increase in the payload for a given launch vehicle.
  • Geostationary satellites must necessarily be in the equatorial plane. So, for such satellites, closer the launch site is to the equator the better it is.
SSLVs
  • SSLV is the new small satellite launch vehicle developed by ISRO to cater for the launch of small satellites.
  • It has a three-stage launch vehicle, having a lift-off weight of about 120 tonnes and is 34 metres in length and 2 metres in diameter. SSLV is designed with a three-stage solid propulsion and a liquid propulsion stage, which is the terminal stage.
  • The SSLV missions are useful to launch small-sized satellites weighing anywhere between 10 to 500kg into the Low Earth Orbit.
  • Going by their size and weight, these are typically referred to as mini, micro or nano satellites. They are low on cost and intended satellite insertion into orbits takes a shorter flight time.
  • SSLV are best suited for commercial and on-demand launches.
  • Previously, satellite projects built by college students and private players involved in the space sector have benefitted from SSLV missions.
India's SSLVs journey
  • SSLV is a relatively new development by ISRO, which is expanding its launch capabilities.
  • The first SSLV mission — SSLV-D1 — carrying two satellites, including EOS-02 and AzaadiSat, in August 2022, was a failure.
  • Despite a text-book launch, perfect lift-off and smooth transitioning into subsequent stages, the insertion of the two satellites after their separation took place into a 356 km circular orbit instead of the intended elliptical orbit.
  • Six months later, in its second attempt with the SSLV-D2 in February 2023, ISRO tasted success.
  • The rocket inserted three satellites onboard into the intended 450 km circular orbit following a 15 minute flight.
Features of SHAR
  • SHAR is situated along the east coast of Andhra Pradesh and is located 80 km off Chennai.
  • It currently provides launch infrastructure to all ISRO missions.
  • It is equipped with a solid propellant processing setup, static testing, and launch vehicle integration facilities, telemetry services — tracking and command network to oversee the launch — and a mission control centre.
  • SHAR has two launch complexes that are routinely used to launch the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the Geosynchronous Space Launch Vehicles (GSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III, now renamed as LVM3.
  • The maiden launch from the First Launch Pad, built in the early 1990s, was in September 1993.
  • Operational since 2005, the Second Launch Pad saw its maiden launch in May 2005.
Source- Indian Express

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