What is the full form of PSLV?

The full form of PSLV is Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It is an Indian adjustable launch vehicle that ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) is constructing and sustaining. It is India’s third generation launch vehicle and also India’s first liquid-stage satellite launch vehicle. PSLV was introduced to enable India to launch its satellites for IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) into Sun-synchronous orbits. It could also be used to launch GTO (geostationary transfer orbit) satellites of a small size.

• On 15 February 2017, India used PSLV to launch 104 satellites around the Earth in polar orbit.
• India launched 48 Indian satellites and 209 international satellites via PSLV from 1994 to 2017.
• It is also included to launch India’s two spaceships: Chandrayan-1 in 2008 and Spacecraft Mars Orbiter in 2013.
• These spacecraft eventually moved to the Moon & Mars, respectively.

Characteristics of PSLV

The main specifications of the PSLV are listed below.

• The height of the vehicle is 44m
• The diameter of the vehicle is 2.8 m
• Lift of mass is 320 tonnes
• The number of stages is 4
• PSLV-G, PSLV-CA, PSLV-XL are the three variants.
• The vehicle was first launched on 20 September 1993.

Technical specification of PSLV

• PSLV is often referred to as the ISRO Workhorse, since repeatedly launching multiple satellites to Low Earth Orbits, it won such tag, i.e., IRS sequence of the Satellites.
• Up to 1,750 kg of load can be transported to the Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits at an altitude of 600 km.
• To raise the thrust in its PSLV-G & PSLV-XL versions in the first stage, it is equipped with Six solid rocket strap-on engines.
• It is a four-stage launch vehicle that alternately utilizes solid & liquid propulsion systems, i.e., Strong rocket motors are used in the first & third stages. In contrast, liquid rocket engines are used in the second & fourth stages.

• PS1 (First stage) – The S139 solid rocket motor is used in the first stage, supplemented by six solid strap-on boosters. In this process, the maximum thrust produced is 4800 kN.
• PS2 (Second Stage) – For the second stage of the PSLV, an Earth-storable liquid rocket engine has been used. It is recognized as the Vikas engine, and the Liquid Propulsion System Centre is developing it. In this process, the maximum thrust produced is 799 kN.
• PS3 (Third stage) – After the launch’s atmospheric phase, a solid rocket motor offers the required thrust at this stage of the PSLV. In this process, the maximum thrust produced is 240 kN.
• PS4 (Fourth Stage) – It is PSLV’s ultimate level. It contains two liquid engines that can be stored on Earth. In this process, the maximum thrust produced is 7.6 X 2 kN.