Commercializing India’s SSLV rocketby Ajey Lele
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| This marks a significant milestone in the history of India’s space program, as it represents the first time ISRO has transferred a complete technology package to a single agency. |
ISRO developed the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to deliver payloads of up to 500 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 500 kilometers and 300 kilograms to Sun-synchronous orbits. SSLV is meant to be used for launching small satellites. The key features of the SSLV include low cost, a quick turnaround time of approximately 72 hours or less (according to some reports it could even be 24 hours), flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, and minimal launch infrastructure requirements. So far this vehicle has undertaken three launches. The first launch on August 7, 2022, was a failure, however the subsequent two launches in 2023 and 2024 were successful.
The SSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with three solid-propulsion stages and a liquid-propulsion Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as the terminal stage. From the outset, ISRO decided it would focus solely on designing, developing, and testing the technology, after which it would be transferred to other agencies for mass production and launches. Following two successful launches, ISRO determined that the technology was ready for transfer and initiated a bidding process.
After a detailed assessment, the Indian government awarded the contract to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a public sector aerospace and defense company established in 1940, seven years before India gained independence. ISRO shares a long-standing relationship with HAL, which has actively contributed to its space missions. For instance, during India’s Mars mission in 2013, HAL provided crucial support by supplying the satellite structure and propellant tankages.
According to reports, HAL won the full contract to manufacture, market, and launch the SSLV. This marks a significant milestone in the history of India’s space program, as it represents the first time ISRO has transferred a complete technology package to a single agency.
HAL was selected from a pool of nine bidders, as it submitted the highest-ranked techno-commercial bid to secure the technology transfer of the SSLV rocket. Notably, this is the second contract HAL has received from ISRO in the launch vehicle sector in recent times. HAL, in partnership with the private company Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a major player in India’s defense and aerospace sector, is already jointly manufacturing the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Their first launch is expected within the next six months or so and will carry a technology demonstration satellite (TDS-1) designed to test up to 35 new indigenous technologies.
ISRO has launched around 433 satellites to date for other countries and agencies, the majority of which fall under the small satellite category. Based on publicly available data, approximately 7,000 satellites were launched globally from the launch of Sputnik in 1957 until the end of 2014. According to Pixalytics Ltd., between 2015 and March 30, 2025, nearly 15,000 satellites have been launched into orbit, with a notable 31.5% increase since June 2023. India has wisely capitalized on this surge in the global satellite launch market. Between 2015 and 2024, the country’s space industry significantly boosted its foreign exchange earnings, generating $143 million by launching 393 foreign satellites.
For a long time, ISRO has been striving to meet the expectations of various small countries and international space agencies by offering launch slots for their small satellites. Usually, ISRO used the excess capacity of larger rockets like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on missions primarily focused on Indian satellite launches to cater to commercial requirements. Separately, ISRO was undertaking a commercial contract for satellite launching by employing another launch vehicle, the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), previously known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mark III). It is designed to carry up to four tons of payload to geostationary orbit and ten tons to LEO.
| HAL should prepare for a minimum six to eight launches per year and should ensure that they can perform ten launches per year. |
The LVM3 has seen all seven of its launches succeed during the last decade. In 2022 and 2023, the LVM3 conducted two commercial missions to launch a total of 72 satellites for OneWeb. However, this vehicle is not an exclusively commercial launch vehicle. It has different variants and upgrades and is being human-rated for India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program.
So, while the LVM3 is suited for heavier payloads, there remains a distinct need for small satellite launchers and, hence, ISRO started developing SSLV in 2017. That rocket is now expected to play a critical and complementary role to LMV3. ISRO has also started developing an exclusive launch site for SSLV launches. At a place near Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu (the southern part of India, around 8 degrees north of the Equator), there is a spaceport in the making to handle SSLV launches to Sun-synchronous orbit. This facility may take around a year’s time to become operational.
The SSLV's ability to offer launch-on-demand (almost) services is expected to attract both domestic and international customers. ISRO has a long-standing reputation for providing reliable and cost-effective launch solutions, making it a trusted partner in the global space sector. ISRO could attract many global agencies to provide satellite launch services. HAL should prepare for a minimum six to eight launches per year and should ensure that they can perform ten launches per year.
The growing importance of small satellites began to emerge in the early 1990s. Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been increasing focus on concepts such as cubesats. Over the past three decades, major advancements in microelectronics have further accelerated interest in deploying constellations of small satellites, primarily for communication purposes. Today, small satellites play a vital role across a wide range of applications, including remote sensing, communications, weather monitoring, and military operations. Hence, it can be said that India’s SSLV is entering the market at the right time.
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