Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
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| Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle | |
 PSLV-C8 (CA Variant) carrying the AGILE x-ray and γ-ray astronomical satellite of the ASI lifting off from Sriharikota |
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| Fact sheet | |
|---|---|
| Function | Expendable launch vehicle |
| Manufacturer | ISRO |
| Country of origin |  India |
| Size | |
| Height | 44 m |
| Diameter | 2.8 m |
| Mass | 294,000 kg |
| Stages | 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 3,250 kg |
| Launch History | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Sriharikota |
| Total launches | 13 |
| Successes | 11 |
| Failures | 1 |
| Partial failures | 1 |
| Maiden flight | 20 September 1993 |
| Boosters (Stage 0) | |
| No boosters | 6 |
| Engines | 1 solid |
| Thrust | 502.600 kN |
| Specific impulse | 262 sec |
| Burn time | 44 seconds |
| Fuel | HTPB (solid) |
| First Stage | |
| Engines | 1 solid |
| Thrust | 4,860 kN |
| Specific impulse | 269sec |
| Burn time | 105 seconds |
| Fuel | HTPB (solid) |
| Second Stage | |
| Engines | 1 Vikas |
| Thrust | 725 kN |
| Specific impulse | 293 sec |
| Burn time | 158 seconds |
| Fuel | N2O4/UDMH |
| Third Stage | |
| Engines | 1 solid |
| Thrust | 328 kN |
| Specific impulse | 294 sec |
| Burn time | 83 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Fourth Stage | |
| Engines | 2 liquid |
| Thrust | 14 kN |
| Specific impulse | 308 sec |
| Burn time | 425 seconds |
| Fuel | MMH/UDMH |
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (usually known by its abbreviation, PSLV) is an expendable launch system 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, commercially viable only from Russia. PSLV can also launch small size satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
Contents |
[edit] Layout
The PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately. The first stage is one of the largest solid-fuel rocket boosters in the world and carries 138 metric tonnes of Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) binded propellant with a diameter of 2.8 m. The motor case is made of maraging steel. The booster develops a maximum thrust of about 4,430 kN. Six strap-on motors, four of which are ignited on the ground, augment the first stage thrust. Each of these solid propellant strap-on motors carries nine metric tonne of HTPB propellant and produces 677 kN thrust. Pitch and yaw control of the PSLV during the thrust phase of the solid motor is achieved by injection of an aqueous solution of strontium perchlorate in the nozzle to constitute Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control System (SITVC). The injection is stored in two cylindrical aluminum tanks strapped to the solid rocket motor and pressurized with nitrogen. SITVC in two strap-on motors is for roll control augmentation.
The second stage employs the Vikas engine and carries 41.5 metric tonne (40 metric tonne till C-5 mission) of liquid propellant — Unsymmetrical Di-Methyl Hydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and Nitrogen tetroxide (N2O4) as oxidizer. It generates a maximum thrust of 800 kN (724 till C-5 mission). Pitch & yaw control is obtained by hydraulically gimbaled engine (±4°) and two hot gas reaction control for roll.
The third stage uses 7 metric tonne of HTPB-based solid propellant and produces a maximum thrust of 324 kN. It has a Kevlar-polyamide fiber case and a submerged nozzle equipped with a flex-bearing-seal gimbaled nozzle (±2°) thrust-vector engine for pitch & yaw control. For roll control it uses the RCS (Reaction Control System) of fourth stage.
The fourth and the terminal stage of PSLV has a twin engine configuration using liquid propellant. With a propellant loading of 2 metric tonne (Mono-Methyl Hydrazine as fuel + Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen as oxidiser), each of these engines generates a maximum thrust of 7.4 kN. Engine is gimbaled (±3°) for pitch, yaw & roll control and for control during the coast phase uses on-off RCS. PSLV-C4 used a new lightweight carbon composite payload adapter to enable a greater GTO payload capability.
[edit] Variants
[edit] Operational
- PSLV
The standard version of the PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately and six strap-on boosters.It currently has capability to launch 1,600 kg to 622 km SSO.
- PSLV-CA
The PSLV-CA, with CA meaning "Core Alone", uses the core stages without any strap-on boosters. It currently has capability to launch 1,100 kg to 622 km SSO.[1]
[edit] Under development / Proposed
- PSLV-XL
On 29 December 2005, ISRO successfully tested an improved version of the strap-on booster for the PSLV. It will be used for future PSLV flights, including the launches of Chandrayaan-1 and the RISAT Radar Imaging Satellite.[2]. The payload capability for this variant will be 1800 kg compared to 1600 kg for the current one [3].
- PSLV-HP
As reported on the website of The New Indian Express newspaper (April 26, 2007), PSLV project director N Narayanamoorthy spoke of another version being planned called the PSLV-HP, standing for ‘high performance.’ It will have strap-ons motors, but the payload capability will be raised to 2000 kg. The HP version will be used to launch a constellation of seven navigation satellites between 2010 and 2012. Among other things, the efficiency of the stage 4 engine will be improved in this version [3].
- Three-stage PSLV
ISRO is also considering the development of a three-stage version of the rocket (with the second stage of the four-stage version removed) which will be capable of placing 500 kg to LEO. [3][4][5]
[edit] Launches
After some delays, the PSLV had its first launch on 20 September 1993. Although all main engines performed as expected, an altitude control problem was reported in the second and third stages. After this initial setback, ISRO met complete success with the third developmental launch in 1996. Further successful launches followed in 1997, 1999, and 2001.
In September 2002, the 1060 kg KALPANA-1 was launched by PSLV-C4 into GTO. On 17 October 2003, the 1360 kg Earth observing ResourceSat1 was launched by PSLV-C5.
On May 5, 2005, PSLV-C6 launched two satellites into orbit; CARTOSAT-I a stereoscopic Earth observation satellite with cartographic applications, weighing 1560 kg, and HAMSAT providing satellite based radio service for amateur radio operators, weighing 42.5 kg into a high polar orbit (632 x 621 km).
PSLV will continue be the work horse of the ISRO for its launches, especially for LEO satellites and the Chandrayaan Projects. It has undergone several improvements with each subsequent version, especially those involving thrust, efficiency and weight.
On January 10, 2007, the PSLV-C7 carried four satellites - the 680 kg Indian remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT-2, the 550 kg Space Capsule Recovery Equipment (SRE-1), Indonesia's LAPAN-TUBSAT (60kg) and Argentina's 6 kg nanosatellite called NANO PEHUENSAT-1 into orbit.[6]
On April 23, 2007, the PSLV-C8 carried its first commercial satellite, the Agile for the Italian Space Agency as main payload with the Advanced Avionics Module as its secondary payload Successfully[7]. This was ISRO's first purely commercial launch. All launches of foreign satellites before this had been of micro-satellites or light weight satellites piggybacked on the PSLV, with an Indian satellite being the primary payload. The PSLV-C8 was also launched without its regular 6 strap-on boosters. Another first for ISRO was the inclination of 2.5o (equatorial orbit)[8][9], which made launch comparatively riskier than usual.
On 21 January 2008, PSLV-C10 launched the Israeli TecSAR satellite. Launch is reported to have been successful.[10]
On 28 April 2008, PSLV-C9 launched ten satellites, the most number ISRO has deployed in one launch. PSLV-C9 placed on orbit an imaging satellite Cartosat-2A India, technology demonstrator IMS-1/TWSAT, and a cluster of eight nanosatellites from different countries. The launch is reported a success.[11]
[edit] Launch log
| Vehicle | Variant | Date of Launch | Launch Location | Payload | Mass[12] | Mission Status | Note(s) |
| D1 | PSLV | 20 September 1993 | Sriharikota | IRS 1E |
845 kg | Failure | First development flight.
Software error causes vehicle crash in to the Bay of Bengal (700 seconds after take off) |
| D2 | PSLV | 15 October 1994 | Sriharikota | IRS P2 |
904 kg | Success | First successful development flight |
| D3 | PSLV | 21 March 1996 | Sriharikota | IRS P3 |
920 kg | Success | |
| C1 | PSLV | 29 September 1997 | Sriharikota | IRS 1D |
1,200 kg | Failure | Suboptimal injection of Satellite |
| C2 | PSLV | 26 May 1999 | Sriharikota | OceanSat 1 DLR-Tubsat KitSat 3 |
1,198 kg | Success | First successful commercial flight. |
| C3 | PSLV | 22 October 2001 | Sriharikota | TES.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} Proba BIRD |
1,294 kg | Success | |
| C4 | PSLV | 12 September 2002 | Sriharikota | METSAT 1 (Kalpana 1) |
1,055 kg | Success | |
| C5 | PSLV | 17 October 2003 | Sriharikota | ResourceSat 1 |
1,360 kg | Success | |
| C6 | PSLV | 5 May 2005 | Sriharikota* | CartoSat 1 HAMSAT |
1,602 kg | Success | |
| C7 | PSLV | 10 January 2007 | Sriharikota | CartoSat 2 SRE LAPAN-TUBSAT PEHUENSAT-1 |
1,210 kg | Success | Used a device called Dual Launch Adapter for the first time to launch four satellites. [13]
Used for the first time a video imaging system on board to take pictures of the separation of the first three satellites from the fourth stage of rocket. [14] |
| C8 | PSLV-CA | 23 April 2007 | Sriharikota* |  AGILE AAM |
537 kg | Success | First flight of the 'core-alone' version |
| C10 | PSLV-CA | 21 January 2008 | Sriharikota |  TECSAR |
260 kg | Success | |
| C9 | PSLV-CA | 28 April 2008[15] | Sriharikota* | Cartosat-2A IMS-1/TWSAT Cute 1.7+APD-2 Seeds-2 CanX-2 CanX-6/NTS Delfi-C3 AAUSAT-II Compass 1 RUBIN |
800 kg | Success | The most satellites (10) launched at once by the PSLV. |
| Planned launches | |||||||
| C11 | PSLV-XL | September 2008 | Sriharikota | Chandrayaan I |
Planned | ||
| C?? | PSLV | 2008 | Sriharikota | OceanSat-2 |
Planned | ||
[edit] References
- * means Second Launch Pad.
[edit] Notes
- ^ ISRO Annual Report 2006 - Space Transportation. ISRO.
- ^ New Solid Propellant Motor to Increase PSLV Capability. ISRO.
- ^ a b c PSLV to get new versions. The New Indian Express daily.
- ^ ISRO Annual Report 2007 - Space Transportation. ISRO.
- ^ ISRO Annual Report 2006 - Space Transportation. ISRO.
- ^ PSLV-C7 successfully lifts off
- ^ First commercial launch of PSLV-C8 successful-India-The Times of India
- ^ :: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
- ^ outlookindia.com | wired
- ^ NDTV - ISRO Launches Israeli Satellite
- ^ ZeeNews -- India creates space history, places ten satellites in one go
- ^ SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLES: PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), by Bharat-Rakshak
- ^ PSLV-C7 using DLA
- ^ PSLV-C7 using Video Imaging System
- ^ Delfi-C3 Mission status page
[edit] External links
- PSLV-C7 launch Video
- ISRO PSLV page
- Bharat-Rakshak PSLV page
- India in Space PSLV page
- PSLV-C8 Mission Photo Gallery
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