Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2011

CHENNAI (PTI): Reaffirming its workhorse tag, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has completed its 17th successful mission in a row when it launched the country's remote sensing satellite Resourcesat-2 from the spaceport of Sriharikota on Wednesday.

Today's successful launch by PSLV-C16, which also carried two nano satellites, has again demonstrated India's commercial launch capabilities in the multi-billion dollar global market in the sector.

After overcoming the lone failure of PSLV-D1 launched on September 20, 1993, it has been a success story all the way for the ISRO's homegrown four-stage launch vehicle.

Since 1994, PSLV, designed and developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, has launched a total of 44 satellites, including 25 from abroad.

Among the key launches undertaken by the PSLV are India's maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-I in October 2008, four Cartosats and Resourcesat-1.

A standard PSLV version is 44 metres tall with a lift off weight of 295 tonne and designed to launch 1600 kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite into geo-synchronous transfer orbit.

PSLV has become "a more versatile vehicle for launching multiple satellites in polar SSOs, Low Earth Orbits and geosynchronous transfer orbit," ISRO said.

The launch vehicle has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately.

With its variant configurations, PSLV has proved its multi-payload, multi-mission capability in a single launch and its geosynchronous launch capability.

Chronology of PSLV missions Vehicle Satellite Date Result

PSLV-D1 IRS-1E September 20, 1993 Unsuccessful

PSLV-D2 IRS-P2 October 15, 1994 Successful

PSLV-D3 IRS-P3 March 21, 1996 Successful

PSLV-C1 IRS-1D September 29, 1997 Successful

PSLV-C2 OCEANSAT and 2 others on May 26, 1999 Successful

PSLV-C3 TES October 22, 2001 Successful

PSLV-C4 KALPANA-1 September 12, 2002 Successful

PSLV-C5 Resourcesat-1 Oct 17, 2003 Successful

PSLV-C6 CARTOSAT-1, HAMSAT May 5, 2005 Successful

PSLV-C7 CARTOSAT-2 & 3 others January 10, 2007 Successful

PSLV-C8 AGILE April 23, 2007 Successful

PSLV-C10 TECSAR January 23, 2008 Successful

PSLV-C9 CARTOSAT-2A, IMS-1 & 8 nano-satellites April 28, 2008 Successful

PSLV-C11 CHANDRAYAAN-I October 22, 2008 Successful

PSLV-C12 RISAT-2 & ANUSAT April 20, 2009 Successful

PSLV-C14 Oceansat-2 & 6 others Sept 23, 2009 Successful

PSLV-C15 Cartosat-2B & 4 others July 12, 2010 Successful

PSLV-C16 Resourcesat-2 & 2 others Apr20, 2011 Successful