The missions do not match with the Integrated Launch Manifest revealed by IN-SPACe earlier in the year.
The SSLV is ISRO’s smallest orbital rocket. (Image Credit: ISRO).
New Delhi: Responding to a question posed at the Lok Sabha, Space Minister Jitendra Singh has revealed the remaining missions by ISRO slotted for 2024. There are three PSLV flights scheduled for the remainder of the year, which is ISRO’s most reliable workhorse rocket. These three missions will launch two technology demonstration missions TDS-01 which will demonstrate a fancy new electric propulsion system, and SPADEX, a mission to demonstrate rendezvous and docking capabilities in Earth orbit. There is also a commercial PSLV mission for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO.
ISRO has also planned for a GSLV flight to deploy the NVS-02 navigation satellite, and an SSLV mission, which is ISRO’s smallest rocket, to deploy the EOS-08 satellite, which is also a technology demonstration mission. The first test flight of the Gaganyaan Programme is also expected to take place by the end of the year, which will use the brand new Human Rated Launch Vehicle (HRLV), a variant of the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) being developed by ISRO.
ISRO has also responded that it will be demonstrating dual-fuel scramjet engines on a suborbital sounding rocket, that was executed a few days ago. ISRO will also be conducting ground demonstrations of the SPADEX mission, apart from celebrating the first anniversary of the Chandrayaan 3 landing in a grand manner, on a day now designated as National Space Day.
What are the missing launches?
The main launch missing from the launch manifest is the NISAR mission, the first collaboration between ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the most advanced aerospace laboratory in the world. The mission was supposed to launch late last year, but NASA has opted to apply a thermal coating out of an abundance of caution. The satellite is currently in the USA and will be shipped back to India. A number of user funded GSLV and PSLV missions also seem to be missing.
