FIRST INDIAN SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE

Indian’s first satellite launch vehicle  ( SLV-3 )

   The development of Indian’s first satellite launch vehicle called SLV-3 were initiated in early 1970. It is a four stage vehicle using solid propulsion with a lift-off mass of 17 t having a dia of about 1m. 

To execute the programme the SLV-3 project was constituted during 1972 under the leadership of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and other team members drawn from various disciplines. It was a fully indigenous effort. 

 A launch station for SLV was developed at Sriharikotta, 75 Km north of Madras in Nellore district. 

 The first attempt to launch SLV-3 was in 1979 carrying 35 Kg Rohini satellite in the low earth orbit but due to minor mal-function of a control thruster, the mission could not be accomplished. 

However, in the second flight of SLV3 during 1980, the Rohini satellite was placed in the orbit making India one of the six nations in the world to develop this technology.

Indian Sounding Rockets - Rohini Sounding Rockets

Rohini Sounding Rockets

The first sounding rocket was launched 1967 from Thumba , near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. . But even after many decades, there sounding rockets have great importance in different fiend of science and technology. These have been extensively used for carrying out metro-logical and scientific experiments by many of the scientists from India and abroad.  These sounding rockets were launched manly form Thumba. But Some of the large rockets like RH-560 were launched from SHAR for specific experiments. These programmes lead to the establishment of a strong base in the rocket technology for the development launch vehicles.

At present there are four different variants of rohini sounding rockets were utilized for various applications. They are RH-200, RH-300, RH-300 Mk II, RH-560 Mk II

Details of various sounding rockets of india are given below

First rocket made by India -Rohini-75

Rohini-75

Along with the activity of launching of foreign sounding rockets ,   lot of research and developments were carried out to realize an indigenous rocket. Finally the first rocket made by India was launched from  Thumba in 20 - November 1967. It was named Rohini -75 .  It was the real beginning of Indian space journey. 

The First rocket made by India and launched from Thumba in 20-Nov-1967

Then  during 1968-75 time frame indigenous development of various sounding rockets of sizes varying from 75mm to 560mm dia. These rockets were capable of carrying  up to 100Kg  up to an altitude of 550Km.