The Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a
small-lift launch vehicle
A small-lift launch vehicle is a rocket orbital launch vehicle that is capable of lifting or less (by NASA classification) or under (by Roscosmos classification) of payload into low Earth orbit (LEO). The next larger category consists of medi ...
project started in the early 1970s by the
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO; ) is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while the Chairman ...
to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. SLV was intended to reach a height of and carry a payload of .
The first experimental flight of SLV-3, in August 1979, was a failure.
[ The first successful launch took place on 18 July 1980.
It was a four-stage rocket with all solid-propellant motors.]
The first launch of the SLV took place in Sriharikota
Sriharikota is a Barrier island off the Bay of Bengal coast located in the Shar Project settlement of Tirupati district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It houses the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, one of the two satellite launch centres in India (the o ...
on 10 August 1979. The fourth and final launch of the SLV took place on 17 April 1983.
It has taken approximately seven years to realise the vehicle from start. The solid motor case for first and second stage are fabricated from 15 CDV6 steel sheets and third and fourth stages from fibre reinforced plastic.
Launch statistics
Launch history
All four SLV launches occurred from the SLV Launch Pad
Satish Dhawan Space Centre - SDSC (formerly Sriharikota Range - SHAR) is a rocket launch centre (spaceport) operated by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is located in Sriharikota, Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Sriharikota R ...
at the Sriharikota High Altitude Range. The first two launches were experimental (E) and the next 2 were designated as developmental (D) as this was the first launch vehicle being developed by India not intended for a long service life.
See also
* Comparison of orbital launchers families
This article compares different orbital launcher families (although many launchers that are significantly different from other members of the same 'family' have their own separate entries). The article is organized into two tables: the first tabl ...
* Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes
This Timeline of artificial satellites and Space probe
A space probe is an artificial satellite that travels through space to collect scientific data. A space probe may orbit Earth; approach the Moon; travel through interplanetary space; flyby ...
References
* https://web.archive.org/web/20071009040815/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/SPACE/space-launchers-slv.html
Space programme of India
ISRO space launch vehicles
Microsatellite launch vehicles
Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Vehicles introduced in 1979
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