Take-off Point – Launch of new rocket by ISRO and possible new possibilities for private sector | 11th February 2023 | UPSC Daily Editorial Analysis

What's the article about?

• It talks about the launch of a new rocket, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2), of ISRO and thus opening new possibilities for the private sector.

Relevance:

• GS3: Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology; Indigenization of Technology and Developing New Technology; Awareness in the fields of Space;
• Prelims

Context:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its second developmental flight of a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle — SSLV-D2 — and placed three satellites in precise orbit recently.
• The three satellites are ISRO’s Earth Observation Satellite EOS 07, U.S.-based firm Antaris’ Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start-up SpaceKidz’s AzaadiSAT-2.
• Last August, the rocket’s maiden flight was a partial failure because it could not place the satellites it was carrying in their intended orbits. The glitch has been rectified in this flight.

What is a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle?

• Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a three stage Launch Vehicle configured with three Solid Propulsion Stages and a liquid propulsion-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.
• SSLV is 2m in diameter and 34m in length with a lift-off weight of around 120 tonnes.
• SSLV is capable of launching 500kg satellites in 500km planar orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC).

Importance of the SSLV:

• The present era is the era of small satellites.
• The demand for the launch of small satellites has increased at a rapid pace in the last eight to ten years, due to the ever-growing need for space-based data, communication, surveillance, and commerce.
• It has a relatively lower cost.
• Development of the private space sector in India, as ISRO has planned to transfer the SSLV technology to private players.

Analysis:

• The global nature of space economy:
  • The three passengers on the rocket’s successful foray are testimony to the global space economy’s scope and potential.
  • One of them was developed by schoolchildren across India, another belonged to the USA, and the last one was developed by ISRO.
• Growth and the miniaturisation of satellites:
  • Space industry observers believe that the sector is poised for a three-fold expansion in the next two decades, propelled by the miniaturisation of satellites and the growing presence of a range of private players.
  • Small satellites have utility in fields as diverse as education, defence, earth sciences, emergency-related data services and smart power grids.
  • In most parts of the world, these satellites hitch onto conventional rockets.
  • With its PSLV (polar satellite launch vehicle), ISRO carved a niche for itself in the traditional launch segment. But in its 44-year history, the space research agency has averaged less than five launches a year.
  • Today’s data-driven world requires more frequent rocket launches. Private players, especially in China and the US, are stepping up to this challenge.
• ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV):
  • The ISRO plans to transfer the SSLV technology to private players.
    In 2020, the government set up the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to enhance the diffusion of ISRO’s research.
  • The launch of India’s first private sector-developed rocket last year is an early indication of the initiative’s success.

Way Forward:

• The presence of more than 100 start-ups testifies to the appetite of private players for the space sector. However, the country has a long way to go to become a significant player in the small satellite-driven space economy — its share is about 2 per cent.