Articles

 
As a continuation/Part-2 of "A Brief History of Indian Orbital Rockets" (https://defencehub.live/threads/a-brief-history-of-indian-orbital-rockets.8461/), this part covers those programs that are still to come. NOTE: As with the preceding article, I will only be mentioning those programs that aim to develop a full-fledged orbital launch capability as their primary goal; as such programs like the Nano Satellite Launch Vehicle (NSLV) which in the opinion of this author are primarily aimed at a Sub-orbital launch capability, have been excluded. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) 2021-2022 Diagrams from official SSLV Brochures While ISRO’s focus has rightfully been on increasing the size & payload capacity of its rockets, it hasn’t forgotten the commercial & strategic implications of a small, launch-on-demand rocket system that can greatly reduce both the cost & lead team it generally takes to put a satellite into orbit – and neither has the Government of India forgotten the...
 
NOTE: In this compilation I'm only going to mention orbital-rated launch vehicles, as such any sub-orbital launchers/sounding rockets will not be mentioned. I'm going to divide this into two parts. The first part will cover the history up till this point, the second part will talk about where things are going. Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) 1979 After launching its first RH-series sounding rocket in 1967, ISRO (then known as INCOSPAR until 1969) set out to develop its first orbital rocket, and achieved this goal in 1979. The SLV, otherwise known by its unit designation SLV-3, was a four-stage rocket with all-solid propulsion, and was the first orbital flight-rated Indian rocket. The SLV only had 4 launches and could never develop into a successful launch system, but it had far-reaching implications for both the civilian space sector as well as the development of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) in the 80s and 90s that gave rise to Prithvi & Agni...

Follow us on social media

Top Bottom