Bengaluru: The ground testing of the newly-developed solid booster stage (SS1) for the new launch vehicle of ISRO -- a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) -- was successfully carried out on Monday at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, under the supervision of ISRO Chairman Somnath.
All the propulsion parameters during the test were found satisfactory and closely matching with the predictions, the Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO said in a statement. SS1 motor is a three-segmented solid propulsion stage incorporating many new technologies and innovative processes that include a bond-free joint between the segments, a high-power electromechanical actuator with digital control electronics, optimised ignitor, and simultaneous propellant casting of all segments, which have been successfully validated in the ground test, according to ISRO.
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"The successful test of solid booster stage has given sufficient confidence to proceed with the first developmental flight of SSLV (SSLV-D1) which is scheduled in May 2022. The remaining stages of SSLV -- SS2 & SS3 stages -- have successfully undergone necessary ground tests and are ready for integration," the statement said.
The rocket was subjected to geostationary testing under the supervision of ISRO Chairman S. Somnath. ISRO intends to launch a cheap foreign satellite into orbit in the Indian space trade. SSLV has been reduced in a way to ensure the cost of using smaller satellites with smaller rockets. It can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg into orbit. The SSLV was designed with three solid-fuel motors at a cost of ten per cent in the manufacture of the PSLV rocket.
