What is 'PSLV'


    Definition: PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is an indigenously-developed expendable launch system of the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). It comes in the category of medium-lift launchers with a reach up to various orbits, including the Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit, Lower Earth Orbit, and Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. All the operations of PSLV are controlled from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, east coast, India.

    Description: PSLV has a four-stage system comprising a combination of solid and liquid-fuelled rocket stages. The first stage at the very bottom is solid fuelled having six strap-on solid rocket boosters wrapped around it. Second stage is liquid fuelled whereas the third stage has a solid fuelled rocket motor. At the fourth stage, the launcher uses a liquid propellant to boost in the outer space.

    The launch vehicle can be customised to fly in three different configurations according to the mission requirements and weighs 229,000, 296,000 or 320,000 kg. The flagship launcher has a payload capacity of 1,050 kg for launching into the Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit and 1,600 kg for the Polar Sun Synchronous Orbit.

    Apart from the regular version, PSLV is used in its Core Alone configuration and an XL Version. Core Alone version is launched without six strap-on boosters and less propellant in its upper stage – a configuration specifically used in the missions featuring small payloads. The XL version is launched with extra propellant in the strap-on solid rocket boosters for increasing the payload capacity.

    As of September 2015, 87 satellites have been successfully launched by PSLV including 51 foreign and 36 Indian satellites into various orbits. Some remarkable launches by PSLV are Chandrayaan-1 (First Indian lunar probe), Mangalyaan-1 (First Mars Orbiter Mission by India) and Astrosat (First Indian dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory).

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    The Economic Times