What is the full form of PSLV

PSLV: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

PSLV stands for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It is an expandable launch vehicle of India which is developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). It is the third generation launch vehicle of India and also the first satellite launch vehicle of India which is equipped with liquid stages. PSLV was developed to enable India launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into Sun-synchronous orbits. It can also be used to launch small size satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

India used PSLV on 15 February 2017 to launch 104 satellites in polar orbit around the Earth. From 1994 to 2017, India has launched 48 Indian satellites and 209 foreign satellites through PSLV. Furthermore, it is also used to launch India?s two spacecrafts, i.e. Chandrayan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013. Later, these spacecrafts travelled to Moon and Mars respectively.

Vehicle Specifications

• Height: 44m
• Diameter: 2.8 m
• Number of Stages: 4
• Lift off Mass: 320 tonnes (XL)
• 3 Variants: PSLV-G, PSLV-CA, PSLV-XL
• First Launch: On 20 September, 1993

Technical Specifications

PSLV is also called "the Workhorse of ISRO". It earned this title after consistently launching various satellites to Low Earth Orbits, i.e. IRS series of satellites. It can carry up to 1,750 kg of load to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits of 600 km altitude. It is provided with 6 solid rocket strap-on motors to boost the thrust in its PSLV-G and PSLV-XL variants in the first stage.

It is a four-staged launch vehicle that uses solid and liquid propulsion system alternately, i.e. First and third stages use solid rocket motors while the second and fourth stages use liquid rocket engines.

• First Stage (PS1): The first stage uses the S139 solid rocket motor augmented by 6 solid strap-on boosters. The maximum thrust generated in this stage is 4800 kN.
• Second Stage (PS2): An Earth storable liquid rocket engine is used for the second stage of PSLV. It is known as Vikas engine and it is developed by the Liquid Propulsion System Centre. The maximum thrust generated in this stage is 799 kN.
• Third Stage (PS3): In this stage of PSLV, a solid rocket motor provides the required thrust after the atmospheric phase of the launch. The maximum thrust generated in this stage is 240 kN.
• Fourth Stage (PS4): It is the uppermost stage of PSLV. It comprises two Earth storable liquid engines. The maximum thrust generated in this stage is 7.6 X 2 kN.