ISRO maiden SSLV launch fails as two satellites are no longer usable

Hours after the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched its first Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) on Sunday, the space agency said that the two satellites that were onboard the new rocket got placed in an elliptical orbit instead of a circular one and are no longer usable.

“SSLV-D1/EOS-02 Mission update: SSLV-D1 placed the satellites into 356 km x 76 km elliptical orbit instead of 356 km circular orbit. Satellites are no longer usable. Issue is reasonably identified. Failure of a logic to identify a sensor failure and go for a salvage action caused the deviation.,” the space agency tweeted.

The space agency said a committee would analyse and make recommendations into today’s episode and with the implementation of those recommendations “ISRO will come back soon with SSLV-D2.”

In its maiden SSLV mission, the launch vehicle carried The Earth Observation Satellite EOS-02 and the co-passenger student satellites AzaadiSAT.

SSLV had suffered ‘data loss’ in its terminal stage, after performing “as expected” in all stages. It had earlier lifted off from the spaceport on Sunday morning.