WHAT IS PSLV ??
With the flawless launch of the 283-tonne PSLV-D2 on October 15, 1994, India became the 5th nation globally with the capability to launch 1,000 kg satellites into 900 km sun-synchronous orbit.
It thus broke the monopoly of the United States, Russia, the European Space Agency, and China. This was, indeed, a matter of jubilation among the scientists of the country as PSLV-D2 and a deep step towards our quest for self-reliance.
As the 283-tonne PSLV-D2 blasted off from the SHAR range, 80 km from Madras, leaving a trail of golden yellow fumes, joy was writ large on the faces of scientists at the controls.
And when the satellite IRS-P2, carrying a Linear Imaging Self-Scanner Camera, was put into orbits later, they burst into spontaneous applause.
FIRST DEVELOPMENT LAUNCHER
Coming 13 months after the disastrous lift-off, the first development launcher, PSLV-D2, is the largest and the most powerful vehicle attempted by ISRO so far. It is the 10th carried out by ISRO since the critical launch vehicle began 15 years ago.
The satellites were monitored by stations in Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Mosco, and Weilhim in Germany; the IRS-P2 designed and fabricated by ISRO at Bangalore is the third Indian remote sensing satellite.
It carries onboard a Linear Imaging Self-Scanner Camera (LISS-ii). The two solar plants, one on either side, are deployed in, and together, they generate 510w of power.
The 804 kg IRS-P2 experimental satellite was successfully ejected and placed in a polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 825 km with a designated orbit inclination of 98.6 degrees.
It is expected to have a life of three years. The PSL mission is only for civilian applications. Its objectives are obtaining and analyzing data on agriculture, groundwater and oceanography.
PSLV IN INDIA
The PSLV is India's first launch vehicle of use liquid engines for the primary population. It is a four-stage vehicle with a solid propellant motor and six motors derived from SLV strapped around it in the first stage.
The second stage, based on liquid propellant. The third and the fourth stages have solid and liquid propellants, respectively.
The 44-tall meter PLSV-D2, with a lift-off weight of 283 tonnes, carrying 129 tonnes of solid propellant, had a loading of 72 tonnes. In comparison, the fourth and the terminal stage contained a twin-engine configuration using 2 tonnes of liquid propellants.
PSLV PROJECT
The entire PSLV project cost Rs.415 crores, which covered the cost of facilities for design, fabrication, production, and testing of various vehicle systems, as well as the infrastructure build at Thiruvananthapuram, Mahendragiri, and Sriharikota. The two PLSVs launched cost Rs. 45 crores each.
THE PSLV-D2 SUCCESS
The success of PSLV-D2 is a step forward in ending India's dependence on foreign countries to launch its Indian remote sensing satellite.
The last launch of IRS-1B in August 1991 from the former Soviet Union had cost Rs. 20 crores.
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has established that it could corner a💲 60 million market by launching small communications satellites in the low-earth orbits, Augmented satellite launch vehicles, and PSLV between 1996 and 2000.
It may compete with the French Space Agency, Arianespace, in offering PSLV services to launch 400 kg to 450 kg communications satellites at the cost of 💲10-15 million.
The World of market Launch services, dominated by a few large companies, is currently estimated as 💲1.3 Billion, which is 19% of the total market for space products and services.
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