Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

 

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle,usually known by its abbreviation PSLV is the first operational launch vehicle of ISRO. PSLV is capable of launching 1600 kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit. In the standard configuration, it measures 44.4 m tall, with a lift off weight of 295 tonnes. PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately. The first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world and carries 139 tonnes of propellant. A cluster of six strap-ons attached to the first stage motor, four of which are ignited on the ground and two are air-lit.

The reliability rate of PSLV has been superb. There had been 16 continuously successful flights of PSLV, till July 2010. With its variant configurations, PSLV has proved its multi-payload, multi-mission capability in a single launch and its geosynchronous launch capability. In the recent Chandrayaan-mission, another variant of PSLV with an extended version of strap-on motors, PSOM-XL, the payload haul was enhanced to 1750 kg in 620 km SSPO. PSLV has rightfully earned the status of workhorse launch vehicle of ISRO.

Typical Parameters of PSLV

Lift-off weight
295 tonne

Pay Load
1600 kg in to 620 km Polar Orbit,
1060 kg in to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

Height
44 metre

PSLV Milestones

PSLV-C15 launched CARTOSAT-2B, ALSAT-2A, NLS 6.1 & 6.2 and STUDSAT on July 12, 2010 (Successful)

PSLV-C14 launched Oceansat - 2 and Six Nanosatellites on September 23, 2009 (Successful)

PSLV-C12 launched RISAT-2 and ANUSAT on April 20, 2009 (Successfully)

PSLV-C11 launched CHANDRAYAAN-I, on October 22, 2008 (Successful)

PSLV-C9 launched CARTOSAT-2A, IMS-1 and Eight nano-satellites on April 28, 2008 (Successful)

PSLV-C10 launched TECSAR on January 23, 2008 (Successful)

PSLV-C8 launched AGILE on April 23, 2007 (Successful)

PSLV-C7 launched CARTOSAT-2, SRE-1, LAPAN-TUBSAT and PEHUENSAT-1 on January 10, 2007 (Successful)

PSLV-C6 launched CARTOSAT-1 and HAMSAT on May 5, 2005 (Successful)

PSLV-C5 launched RESOURCESAT-1(IRS-P6) on October 17, 2003 (Successful)

PSLV-C4 launched KALPANA-1(METSAT) on September 12, 2002 (Successful)

PSLV-C3 launched TES on October 22, 2001 (Successful)

PSLV-C2 launched OCEANSAT(IRS-P4), KITSAT-3 and DLR-TUBSAT on May 26, 1999 (Successful)

PSLV-C1 launched IRS-1D on September 29, 1997 (Successful)

PSLV-D3 launched IRS-P3 on March 21, 1996 (Successful)

PSLV-D2 launched IRS-P2 on October 15, 1994 (Successful)

PSLV-D1 launched IRS-1E on September 20, 1993 (Unsuccessful)

• CARTOSAT - 2B is the seventeenth satellite in the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite series (IRS). CARTOSAT-2B carries a Panchromatic camera (PAN) similar to those of its predecessors - CARTOSAT-2 and 2A. It is capable of imaging a swath (geographical strip) of 9.6 km with a resolution of better than 1 metre.

Three foreign satellites – ALSAT-2A and NLS 6.1, 6.2 were launched as auxiliary satellites by PSLV-C15 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on Jul 12, 2010 along with the main satellite – CARTOSAT-2B and pico – satellite STUDSAT.

ALSAT-2A

ALSAT-2A is a small satellite, weighing 116 kg from Algeria for remote sensing purpose.

NLS 6.1

NLS-6.1 (AISSAT-1) weighing 6.5 kg built by Space Flight Laboratory of the University of Toronto, Canada for testing various satellite technologies.

NLS 6.2

NLS-6.2 (TISAT–1) weighing one kg built by University of Applied Sciences of Switzerland for testing various satellite technologies.

STUDSAT

Student Satellite (STUDSAT) is the first pico-satellite developed in the country by a consortium of seven engineering colleges from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.