When the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) lifts off from Sriharikota on its maiden developmental flight, Thiruvananthapuram, where India’s space programme took off in the 1960s, will have much to cheer about.
Slated for launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on August 7, the ‘baby rocket’ has been fully designed and developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facilities in Thiruvananthapuram with industry participation.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here in Thumba, which is ISRO’s lead unit on launch vehicles, was responsible for the design and development of the three-stage SSLV. The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Valiyamala in the district developed the Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) for the SSLV, VSSC director S. Unnikrishnan Nair told The Hindu.
