PSLV or Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle 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 through India's Cold War ally, Russia. PSLV can also launch small size satellites into Geo Transfer Orbits.
The vehicle consists of two solid-propellant stages (stage 1 and 3) and two liquid stages (2 and 4).
After some delays, the first launch of the PSLV occurred on 20 September1993. 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 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 to a GTO orbit (Geo Transfer Orbit). On 17 October2003, the 1360kg Earth observing ResourceSat1 was launched by PSLV-C5.
In this flight, PSLV launches the 352 kg Italian astronomical satellite, AGILE, into a 550 km circular orbit, inclined at an angle of 2.5 deg to the equator.
PSLV's first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world.
PSLV was originally designed to place 1,000 kg class of India's remote sensing satellites into a 900 km polar SSO.
The PSLV uses a four-stage core vehicle surrounded by six strap-on boosters of the type developed for the ASLV.
The PSLV was first launched on Sep. 20, 1993, became operational in March 1996, and has since successfully launched several payloads, including IRS-P4 (Oceansat) and two piggyback satellites, the Korean KITSAT and the German TUBSAT, on May 26,1999.
A second successful triple launch for PSLV took place on Oct. 22, 2001, when the German BIRD, the Belgian PROBA, and the Indian TES satellites were placed into their correct orbits by the PSLV-3C mission (see accompanying photo of launch).
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