Mumbai: Reusable rockets among Isro’s top missions in 2022

Mumbai: Isro has lined up a number of new high-tech missions in the days ahead that will rocket the space agency to higher orbits, said N Sudheer Kumar, director, Isro’s Capacity Building Programme Office.
Sudheer Kumar was speaking at an interaction organised by the Nehru Science Centre, Space Geeks, the National Centre For Science Communcators, and the Indian Space Industries Exhibition on Sunday evening. It was part of the World Space Week celebrations.
Among the important missions on Isro’s time table is evaluating what is known as the reusable launch vehicle technology after the Gaganyaan mission the human space flight programme slated for launch towards the end of 2022 or early 2023.
The reusable launch vehicle technology, perfected by Space X, will allow repeated use of the rocket, reducing the cost of missions. At present, Isro launch vehicles are discarded after use.
Another new project is the design of a small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) catering to mini, micro and nano satellites which will place 500 kg satellites in the low earth orbit.
Provisionally expected to be launched in December 2021, this rocket can be managed by a small team of six people and readied in a week instead of months.
Kumar further announced that Isro is working on a new type of the Gslv Mk-3 rocket using a semi-cryogenic engine, allowing it to carry 7.5-tonne satellites or payloads into the geostationary transfer orbit at an altitude of 30,000 kms. The present version of the Gslv Mk-3 enables it to lift 4-tonne payloads.
He also told viewers that Isro’s maiden mission to the sun, designated Aditya-1, will lift off next year. Originally slated for launch in 2020, it was rescheduled to 2022 because of the pandemic.
A space docking experiment, in which two space craft will rendevouz in space, is also taking shape and will be used in future interplanetary missions, he said.