Satellite Launch Vehicle

This article is about the Indian launch vehicle. For the general term, see Satellite launch vehicle. For newer Indian small launch system, see Small Satellite Launch Vehicle.

The Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a small-lift launch vehicle project started in the early 1970s by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. SLV was intended to reach a height of 400 kilometres (250 mi) and carry a payload of 40 kg (88 lb).^[2] The first experimental flight of SLV, in August 1979, was a failure.^[3] The first successful launch took place on 18 July 1980.

Satellite Launch Vehicle
Function	Small-lift launch vehicle
Manufacturer	ISRO
Country of origin	India
Size
Height	22 m (72 ft)
Diameter	1 m (3.3 ft)
Mass	17,000 kg (37,000 lb)
Capacity
Payload to LEO
Altitude	400 km (250 mi)
Mass	41.5 kg (91 lb)
Associated rockets
Derivative work	ASLV, PSLV
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Total launches	4
Success(es)	2
Failure(s)	1
Partial failure(s)	1
First flight	10 August 1979
Last flight	17 April 1983
Carries passengers or cargo	Rohini
First stage
Propellant mass	8.6 t (19,000 lb)
Powered by	1 solid
Maximum thrust	450 kN (100,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	253 seconds (2.48 km/s)
Burn time	seconds
Propellant	PBAN (Polybutadiene acrylonitrile) Solid[1]
Second stage
Propellant mass	3 tonnes
Powered by	1 solid
Maximum thrust	20 tonnes
Specific impulse	267 sec
Burn time	40 seconds
Propellant	PBAN (Polybutadine Acrylo Nitrate) Solid
Third stage
Propellant mass	1 tonnes
Powered by	1 solid
Maximum thrust	6.3 tonnes
Specific impulse	277 sec
Burn time	45 seconds
Propellant	High energy propellant (HEF 20) Solid
Fourth stage
Propellant mass	262 kg
Powered by	1 solid
Maximum thrust	2.4 tonnes
Specific impulse	283 sec
Burn time	33 seconds
Propellant	High energy propellant (HEF 20) Solid

It was a four-stage rocket with all solid-propellant motors.^[3]

The first launch of the SLV took place in Sriharikota on 10 August 1979. The fourth and final launch of the SLV took place on 17 April 1983.

It took approximately seven years to realise the vehicle from start. The solid motor case for first and second stage were fabricated from 15 CDV6 steel sheets and third and fourth stages from fibre reinforced plastic.^[1] The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the National Aerospace Laboratories' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.^[4]

Launch history

All four SLV launches occurred from the SLV Launch Pad 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.^[5]

Flight No.	Date / time (UTC)	Rocket, Configuration	Launch site	Payload	Payload mass	Orbit	User	Launch outcome
E1	10 August 1979	Satellite Launch Vehicle	SLV Launch Pad	Rohini Technology Payload[6]	35 kg	Low Earth	ISRO	Failure
	Faulty valve caused vehicle to crash into the Bay of Bengal 317 seconds after launch.[5]
E2	18 July 1980	Satellite Launch Vehicle	SLV Launch Pad	Rohini RS-1	35 kg	Low Earth	ISRO	Success [5]
	It was the first satellite successfully launched by the indigenous launch vehicle SLV. It provided data on the fourth stage of SLV.
D1	31 May 1981	Satellite Launch Vehicle	SLV Launch Pad	Rohini RS-D1	38 kg	Low Earth	ISRO	Partial failure
	Orbit too low. Decayed after 9 days[5]
D2	17 April 1983	Satellite Launch Vehicle	SLV Launch Pad	Rohini RS-D2	41.5 kg	Low Earth	ISRO	Success[5]
	Earth Observation satellite

Launch statistics

1

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

•   Failure
•   Partial failure
•   Success

Decade-wise summary of SLV launches

Decade	Successful	Partial success	Failure	Total
1970s	0	0	1	1
1980s	2	1	0	3
Total	2	1	1	4

See also

• India portal
• Rocketry portal
• Spaceflight portal

• Comparison of orbital launchers families
• Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes