Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
- The Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) Programme was designed to augment the payload capacity to 150 kg, thrice that of SLV-3, for Low Earth Orbits (LEO).
- Under the ASLV programme four developmental flights were conducted.
- The first developmental flight took place on March 24, 1987 and the second on July 13, 1988. The third developmental flight, ASLV-D3 was successfully launched on May 20, 1992, when SROSS-C (106 kg) was put into an orbit of 255 x 430 km. ASLV-D4, launched on May 4, 1994, orbited SROSS-C2 weighing 106 kg.
- It had two payloads, Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Experiment and Retarding Potentio Analyser (RPA) and functioned for seven years.
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India.
- It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.
- After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as a reliable and versatile workhorse launch vehicle of India.
- The vehicle has launched numerous Indian and foreign customer satellites. Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft “Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013″that later travelled to Moon and Mars respectively.
- PSLV earned its title ‘the workhorse of ISRO’ through consistently delivering various satellites into low earth orbits, particularly the IRS Series of satellites
- Due to its unmatched reliability, PSLV has also been used to launch various satellites into Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits, like satellites from the IRNSS Constellation
- The PSLV is capable of placing multiple payloads into orbit, thus multi-payload adaptors are used in the payload fairing.
- The payload performance of the vehicle and mission flexibility is evident from the challenging missions where multi-orbit and multi-satellite missions are accomplished.
- Lift Off Mass: 320 tonnes (XL)
- Payload to SSPO (Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit): 1,750 kg
- Payload to Sub GTO: 1,425 kg
There is a total of 4 stages in this launch vehicle.
- First Stage: PS1
PSLV uses the S139 solid rocket motor that is augmented by 6 solid strap-on boosters.
- Second Stage: PS2
PSLV uses an Earth storable liquid rocket engine for its second stage, known as the Vikas engine, developed by Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.
- Third Stage: PS3
The third stage of PSLV is a solid rocket motor that provides the upper stages high thrust after the atmospheric phase of the launch.
- Fourth Stage: PS4
The PS4 is the uppermost stage of PSLV, comprising of two Earth storable liquid engines.
GSLV Mk II
- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk II) is the launch vehicle developed by India, to launch communication satellites in geo transfer orbit using cryogenic third stage.
- Initially Russian GK supplied cryogenic stages were used. Later cryogenic stage was indigenously developed and inducted in Jan 2014 from GSLV D5 onwards.
- This operational fourth generation launch vehicle is a three stage vehicle with four liquid strap-ons. The flight proven indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS), forms the third stage of GSLV Mk II.
Number of Stages: 3
- The first stage of GSLV was also derived from the PSLV’s PS1. The 138 tonne solid rocket motor is augmented by 4 liquid strap-ons.
- One Vikas engine is used in the second stage of GSLV. The stage was derived from the PS2 of PSLV where the Vikas engine has proved its reliability
- Third Stage Cryogenic Upper Stage
- First Flight: April 18, 2001
- First Flight (With Indigenous Cryo Stage) : January 5, 2014
- Payload to GTO: 2,250 kg
- Payload to LEO (Low Earth Orbit) : 6,000 kg
