Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
PSLV-C35 on the SDSC FLP
FunctionMedium-lift launch system
ManufacturerISRO
Country of originIndia
Cost per launch₹130 crore (equivalent to ₹153 crore or US$18 million in 2023)
-₹200 crore (equivalent to ₹235 crore or US$28 million in 2023)[1]
Size
Height44 m (144 ft)
Diameter2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
MassPSLV-G: 295,000 kg (650,000 lb)
PSLV-CA: 230,000 kg (510,000 lb)
PSLV-XL: 320,000 kg (710,000 lb)[2]
Stages4
Capacity
Payload to LEO (200 km @ 30° inclination)
Mass
  • G: 3,200 kg (7,100 lb)
  • CA: 2,100 kg (4,600 lb)
  • XL: 3,800 kg (8,400 lb)
[3][4]
Payload to SSO (620 km circular)
Mass
  • G: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb)
  • CA: 1,100 kg (2,400 lb)
  • XL: 1,750 kg (3,860 lb)
[3][2][5]
Payload to Sub-GTO (284 × 20650 km)
Mass1,425 kg (3,142 lb)
(PSLV-XL)[2][5]
Payload to GTO
Mass
  • G: 1,150 kg (2,540 lb)
  • XL: 1,300 kg (2,900 lb)
[3][6]
Associated rockets
ComparableVega, Nuri
Launch history
StatusActive
Launch sitesSatish Dhawan Space Centre
Total launches60
Success(es)57
Failure(s)2
Partial failure(s)1
First flight
  • PSLV-G: 20 September 1993
  • PSLV-CA: 23 April 2007
  • PSLV-XL: 22 October 2008
  • PSLV-DL: 24 January 2019
  • PSLV-QL: 1 April 2019
Last flight
  • PSLV-G: 26 September 2016
  • PSLV-CA: 30 July 2023
  • PSLV-XL: 2 September 2023
  • PSLV-DL: 1 January 2024
  • PSLV-QL: 11 December 2019
Type of passengers/cargo
Boosters (PSLV-G) – S9
No. boosters6
Maximum thrust510 kN (110,000 lbf)
Specific impulse262 s (2.57 km/s)
Burn time44 s
PropellantHTPB
Boosters (PSLV-XL/QL/DL) – S12
No. boosters6 (XL)
4 (QL)
2 (DL)
Height12 m (39 ft)[7]
Diameter1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Propellant mass12,200 kg (26,900 lb) each
Powered byoff
Maximum thrust703.5 kN (158,200 lbf)[8]
Total thrust4,221 kN (949,000 lbf) (XL)
2,814 kN (633,000 lbf) (QL)
1,407 kN (316,000 lbf) (DL)
Specific impulse262 s (2.57 km/s)
Burn time70 s
PropellantHTPB
First stage
Height20 m (66 ft)[7]
Diameter2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propellant mass138,200 kg (304,700 lb) each[7][2]
Powered byS139
Maximum thrust4,846.9 kN (1,089,600 lbf)[8]
Specific impulse237 s (2.32 km/s) (sea level)
269 s (2.64 km/s) (vacuum)
Burn time110 s
PropellantHTPB
Second stage
Height12.8 m (42 ft)[7]
Diameter2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propellant mass42,000 kg (93,000 lb) each[7]
Powered by1 Vikas
Maximum thrust803.7 kN (180,700 lbf)[8]
Specific impulse293 s (2.87 km/s)
Burn time133 s
PropellantN2O4/UDMH
Third stage
Height3.6 m (12 ft)[7]
Diameter2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Propellant mass7,600 kg (16,800 lb) each[7]
Powered byS-7[9]
Maximum thrust250 kN (56,000 lbf)
Specific impulse295 s (2.89 km/s)
Burn time113.5 s[10]
PropellantHTPB
Fourth stage
Height3 m (9.8 ft)[7]
Diameter1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
Propellant mass2,500 kg (5,500 lb) each[7]
Powered by2 x L-2-5[9]
Maximum thrust14.66 kN (3,300 lbf)[8]
Specific impulse308 s (3.02 km/s)
Burn time525 s
PropellantMMH/MON
[edit on Wikidata]

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into Sun-synchronous orbits, a service that was, until the advent of the PSLV in 1993, only commercially available from Russia. PSLV can also launch small size satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).[11]

Some notable payloads launched by PSLV include India's first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, India's first interplanetary mission, Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), India's first space observatory, Astrosat and India's first Solar mission, Aditya-L1.[2]

PSLV has gained credibility as a leading provider of rideshare services for small satellites, owing to its numerous multi-satellite deployment campaigns with auxiliary payloads, usually ride-sharing along with an Indian primary payload.[12] As of June 2022, PSLV has launched 345 foreign satellites from 36 countries.[13] Most notable among these was the launch of PSLV-C37 on 15 February 2017, successfully deploying 104 satellites in Sun-synchronous orbit, tripling the previous record held by Russia for the highest number of satellites sent to space on a single launch,[14][15] until 24 January 2021, when SpaceX launched the Transporter-1 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 143 satellites into orbit.[16]

Payloads can be integrated in tandem configuration employing a Dual Launch Adapter.[17][18] Smaller payloads are also placed on equipment deck and customized payload adapters.[19]

  1. ^ "SURPLUS MISSILE MOTORS: Sale Price Drives Potential Effects on DOD and Commercial Launch Providers". gao.gov. U.S. Government Accountability Office. 16 August 2017. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle". Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Access to Space" (PDF). 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Galileo Galilei (GG) Launcher Identification And Compatibility Analysis Report" (PDF). 8 June 2009. p. 27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference VSSC_PSLV was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "PSLV". Space Launch Report. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i "PSLV-C37 Brochure". ISRO. Archived from the original on 8 April 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d "PSLV_C41_Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference sf101 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference CurrSci_V119_I6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Welcome To ISRO :: Launch Vehicles". Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  12. ^ Foust, Jeff (23 June 2017). "Rideshare demand grows despite development of small launch vehicles". Space News. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  13. ^ Tejonmayam, U (11 December 2019). "PSLV-C48 successfully launches RISAT-2BRI, 9 foreign satellites". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  14. ^ Barry, Ellen (15 February 2017). "India Launches 104 Satellites From a Single Rocket, Ramping Up Space Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  15. ^ "ISRO's record satellites' launch: 10 top facts". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  16. ^ Wattles, Jackie (24 January 2021). "SpaceX launches 143 satellites on one rocket in record-setting mission". CNN. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  17. ^ "PSLV C35 / Scatsat-1 with Dual Launch Adapter". Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  18. ^ Cong, Indian Science (5 January 2016). "Here's the #103ISC Official Newsletter 2nd edition brought by Journalism students and researchers. 2/2 @PIB_Indiapic.twitter.com/mLq9CZnY5T". @103ISC. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  19. ^ Aisha Nazeer (November 2018). "Research on PSLV-C37 Launcher by ISRO" (PDF). International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR). 7 (11). Retrieved 13 May 2023.