SLV 3

     Based on the experience of designing and making sounding rockets, ISRO started to build a satellite launch vehicle. The four-stage rocket, called SLV-3, powered by solid propellants, launched on August 10, 1979 was partly successful. Subsequent successful missions were accompished in 1980, 1981 and 1983. On 17^th April 1983, SLV-3 blasted off from Sriharikota put a 41.5 Kg Rohini Satellite into Near-East orbit of nearly 400 km by 850 km elliptical path. Rohini circled the earth every 99 minutes. It carried a solid state camera, called SMART sensor, which took images for identifying landmarks and it ended its mission on September 24, 1984.

ASLV

     Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was a five-stage solid propellant vehicle weighing about 40 tonnes, comprising of two strapons. It used complex technologies like new types of nozzles, bulbous metallic heat shield, closed-loop guidance system and internal navigation.

     The first development flight (ASLV-D 1) on 24^th March 1987, the second mission (ASLV-D2) on 13^th July 1988 were tried and proved to be partial success. The modified ASLV-D3 was launched on 20^th May 1992 and the satelite (SROSS-C, an engineering model) was injected in to the lower orbit of 433 x 267 Km. The mission of ASLV-D4 on 4^th May 1994 was described as a text book launch because, all the events occurred as predicted and placed the satellite (SROS-C2) in an orbit 437 x 938 Km.