Rocket Report Indias new rocket soars; Canadian balloon launch company pops

News Summary

  • After the launch the Indian space agency said it is preparing for two missions in March, one using the country’s heavy-duty GSLV Mk.3 rocket for 40 Internet satellites for OneWeb and another for commercial customers using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
  • The Canadian launch company building an inexpensive small-lift rocket with a balloon first stage filed for bankruptcy last Friday, Payload reports.
  • The small rocket is designed to carry payloads of up to 500 kg into orbit, complementing India’s larger rockets, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.
  • The mission followed the first SSLV test flight in August, which failed during separation of the second stage about six minutes after liftoff, when vibrations threw off the vehicle’s inertial navigation system.Going for two in March ...
  • The second test flight of India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle was successful last Friday, delivering Indian and US-owned payloads into orbit, Spaceflight Now reports.
  • This week, I would like to congratulate the Indian space agency ISRO on the successful second flight of the SSLV rocket, which adds a new micro-launch capability to the nation's growing fleet of rockets.
Enlarge/ Indias Small Satellite Launch Vehicle takes flight on Feb. 10 2023. 1 with Welcome to Edition 5.26 of the Rocket Report! This week, I would like to congratulate the Indian space agency [+4210 chars]