Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Size
PSLV-C35 on the SDSC FLP
Function	Medium-lift launch system
Manufacturer	ISRO
Country of origin	India
Cost per launch	₹130 crore (equivalent to ₹153 crore or US$26 million in 2023) -₹200 crore (equivalent to ₹235 crore or US$40 million in 2023)
Height	44 m (144 ft)
Diameter	2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Mass	PSLV-G: 295,000 kg (650,000 lb) PSLV-CA: 230,000 kg (510,000 lb) PSLV-XL: 320,000 kg (710,000 lb)
Stages	4
Capacity
Payload to LEO (200 km @ 30° inclination)	G: 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) CA: 2,100 kg (4,600 lb) XL: 3,800 kg (8,400 lb)
Payload to SSO (620 km circular)	G: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) CA: 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) XL: 1,750 kg (3,860 lb)
Payload to Sub-GTO (284 × 20650 km)	1,425 kg (3,142 lb) (PSLV-XL)
Payload to GTO	G: 1,150 kg (2,540 lb) XL: 1,300 kg (2,900 lb)

Associated rockets
Comparable	Vega, Nuri
Launch history
Status	Active
Launch sites	Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Total launches	62
Successes	59
Failures	2
Partial failures	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 December 2024 PSLV-XL: 5 December 2024 PSLV-DL: 1 January 2024 PSLV-QL: 11 December 2019
Notable payloads	Chandrayaan-1 Mars Orbiter Mission Astrosat SRE-1 NAVIC Aditya-L1 PROBA-3

Boosters (PSLV-G) – S9
No. boosters	6
Thrust	510 kN (110,000 lb_f)
Specific impulse	262 s (2.57 km/s)
Burn time	44 s
Fuel	HTPB
Boosters (PSLV-XL/QL/DL) – S12
No. boosters	6 (XL) 4 (QL) 2 (DL)
Length	12 m (39 ft)
Diameter	1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Propellant mass	12,200 kg (26,900 lb) each
Thrust	703.5 kN (158,200 lb_f)
Total thrust	4,221 kN (949,000 lb_f) (XL) 2,814 kN (633,000 lb_f) (QL) 1,407 kN (316,000 lb_f) (DL)
Specific impulse	262 s (2.57 km/s)
Burn time	70 s
Fuel	HTPB
First stage
Length	20 m (66 ft)
Diameter	2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propellant mass	138,200 kg (304,700 lb) each
Motor	S139
Thrust	4,846.9 kN (1,089,600 lb_f)
Specific impulse	237 s (2.32 km/s) (sea level) 269 s (2.64 km/s) (vacuum)
Burn time	110 s
Fuel	HTPB
Second stage
Length	12.8 m (42 ft)
Diameter	2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Propellant mass	42,000 kg (93,000 lb) each
Engines	1 Vikas
Thrust	803.7 kN (180,700 lb_f)
Specific impulse	293 s (2.87 km/s)
Burn time	133 s
Fuel	N₂O₄/UDMH
Third stage
Length	3.6 m (12 ft)
Diameter	2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Propellant mass	7,600 kg (16,800 lb) each
Motor	S-7
Thrust	250 kN (56,000 lb_f)
Specific impulse	295 s (2.89 km/s)
Burn time	113.5 s
Fuel	HTPB
Fourth stage
Length	3 m (9.8 ft)
Diameter	1.3 m (4 ft 3 in)
Propellant mass	2,500 kg (5,500 lb) each
Engines	2 x L-2-5
Thrust	14.66 kN (3,300 lb_f)
Specific impulse	308 s (3.02 km/s)
Burn time	525 s
Fuel	MMH/MON

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is a powerful rocket built and used by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It's an expendable rocket, meaning it's used once for each mission. PSLV was created so India could launch its own Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites. Before PSLV, India had to rely on other countries, mainly Russia, to launch these satellites into Sun-synchronous orbits.

PSLV is also able to launch smaller satellites into a special path called Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). This makes it a very versatile rocket for different space missions.

Amazing Missions and Payloads
A Global Rocket for Small Satellites
How the PSLV Rocket Works
Images for kids
See also

Amazing Missions and Payloads

The PSLV has launched some really important missions for India and the world. It helped send India's first probe to the Moon, called Chandrayaan-1. It also launched India's first mission to another planet, the Mars Orbiter Mission (also known as Mangalyaan).

Other cool payloads include Astrosat, India's first space observatory, which studies the universe. More recently, it launched Aditya-L1, India's first mission to study the Sun.

A Global Rocket for Small Satellites

PSLV is very popular for launching small satellites from many different countries. It's known for its "rideshare" service, where it carries several smaller satellites along with a main Indian satellite. This is like a space taxi service for satellites!

As of June 2022, PSLV has successfully launched 345 foreign satellites from 36 different countries. One of its most famous missions was PSLV-C37 on February 15, 2017. On this mission, PSLV launched a record-breaking 104 satellites into orbit in one go! This was the highest number ever launched by a single rocket at that time.

This record was later broken by SpaceX in 2021 with their Transporter-1 mission. PSLV can carry multiple satellites by using special adapters. These adapters allow smaller satellites to be placed on different parts of the rocket.

How the PSLV Rocket Works

The PSLV is a four-stage rocket, meaning it has four main parts that ignite one after another to push it into space. Each stage has its own engines and fuel.

First Stage: Powerful Start

The first stage is very large and uses solid fuel. It provides a huge amount of thrust to lift the rocket off the ground. Some versions of PSLV also have smaller booster rockets attached to the sides of the first stage to give an extra push at liftoff.

Second Stage: Liquid Power

After the first stage finishes its job, it separates, and the second stage takes over. This stage uses liquid fuel and has a powerful Vikas engine. It helps the rocket gain more speed and altitude.

Third Stage: Solid Boost

The third stage is smaller and also uses solid fuel. It gives another strong push to the rocket, helping it get even closer to its target orbit.

Fourth Stage: Precise Placement

The final stage is the fourth stage. It uses liquid fuel and is designed for very precise movements. This stage helps place the satellites exactly where they need to be in space. It can also restart its engines multiple times, which is useful for deploying satellites into different orbits on the same mission.