Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

-Navaneet
AE 3
rd
Semester
USN-1NT13AE03
1 INTODUCTION-SATELLITES AND LAUNCH VEHICLES
Ever! da! satellites are "ein# launched$ re%aired or retrieved in s%ace&
Satellites are ver! im%ortant to the 'orld( it )nds its a%%lications in all )elds&
These satellites are launched "! usin# launchin# vehicles&
*n the list o+ recentl! used vehicles +or launchin# satellites "! *S,- +alls SLV$
ASLV$ PSLV$ and .SLV&
-ut o+ these PSLV is credited to "e the most success+ul launch vehicle in *S,-$
till date$ 'ith / consecutivel! success+ul 0i#hts out o+ 1 launches&
2 WHAT EXACTLY IS PSLV?
Li2e all other launch vehicles$ PSLV is also used to launch a
satellite into a sta"le or"it& 3ut unli2e its counter%arts$ this
is s%eci)call! em%lo!ed to %lace a satellite in %olar or"it&
Satellites in %olar or"its have a variet! o+ +unctions
includin# monitorin# the 'eather$ o"servin# the Earth4s
sur+ace and man! other militar! uses includin# s%!in#&
3 HISTORY
PSLV 'as desi#ned and develo%ed in the earl! 1550s at
Vi2ram Sara"hai S%ace 6entre(VSS6)$ Thiruvanantha%uram$ 7erala 'ith in%uts
+rom *S,- *nertial S!stems unit(**SU)$Li8uid Pro%ulsion S!stems 6entre(LPS6) (
Satish 9ha'an S%ace 6entre(S:A,)&
The )rst 0i#ht 'as on on 0 Se%tem"er 1553& Althou#h all main en#ines
%er+ormed as e;%ected$ an attitude control %ro"lem 'as re%orted in the
second and third sta#es& 3ut *S,- met com%lete success 'ith the third
develo%mental launch in 1551& *n Novem"er 013 it 'as used to launch *ndia<s
=ars -r"iter =ission into an elli%tical or"it around Earth& =ars -r"iter =ission
is *ndia<s )rst inter%lanetar! mission to %lanet =ars 'ith an or"iter cra+t
desi#ned to or"it =ars in an elli%tical or"it& *t has under#one several
im%rovements 'ith each su"se8uent version$ es%eciall! those involvin# thrust$
e>cienc! as 'ell as 'ei#ht& *n Novem"er 013 it 'as used to launch *ndia<s
=ars -r"iter =ission into an elli%tical or"it around Earth& =ars -r"iter =ission
is *ndia<s )rst inter%lanetar! mission to %lanet =ars 'ith an or"iter cra+t
desi#ned to or"it =ars in an elli%tical or"it&
4 ABOUT THE VEHICLE
The PSLV has +our sta#es usin# solid and li8uid %ro%ulsion s!stems alternatel!&
1& Solid-+uel roc2et "oosters carr!in# 13? tonnes o+ :!dro;!l-terminated
%ol!"utadiene(:TP3) "ound %ro%ellant 'ith a diameter o+ &?m 'ith a
ma;imum thrust o+ a"out @$@30 2N& There are Si; stra%-on motors$ +our o+
'hich are i#nited on the #round$ au#ment the )rst-sta#e thrust each carr!in#
nine tonnes o+ :TP3 %ro%ellant and %roducin# 1AA 2N thrust& There e;ists
man! com%licated mechanisms +or control o+ the %itch and !a'&
& The Vi2as en#ine 'hich carries @1&/ tonnes (@0 tonnes till 6-/ mission) o+
li8uid %ro%ellant B Uns!mmetrical 9i-=eth!l :!draCine (U9=:) as +uel and
Nitro#en tetro;ide (N-@) as o;idiCer& *t #enerates a ma;imum thrust o+ ?00
2N (A@ till 6-/ mission)&
3& Usin# A tonnes o+ :TP3-"ased solid %ro%ellant a ma;imum thrust o+ 3@ 2N
is %roduced & *t has a 7evlar-%ol!amide )"er case and a su"mer#ed noCCle&
@& A t'in en#ine con)#uration usin# li8uid %ro%ellant& Dith a %ro%ellant loadin#
o+ tonnes (=ono-=eth!l :!draCine as +uel E =i;ed -;ides o+ Nitro#en as
o;idiser)$ each o+ these en#ines #enerates a ma;imum thrust o+ A&@ 2N&
5 VERSIONS
*S,- has envisa#ed a num"er o+ variants o+ PSLV to cater to diFerent mission
re8uirements& There are currentl! three o%erational versions&
5.1 PSLV(STANDARD)
The standard version o+ the PSLV has +our sta#es usin# solid and li8uid
%ro%ulsion s!stems alternatel! and si; stra%-on "oosters& *t currentl! has
ca%a"ilit! to launch 1$1A? 2# to 1 2m into sun s!nchronous or"it&
5.2 PSLV-CA
The PSLV-6A$ 6A meanin# G6ore AloneG$ model %remiered on 3 A%ril 00A&
The 6A model does not include the si; stra%-on "oosters used "! the PSLV
standard variant& T'o small roll control modules and t'o )rst-sta#e motor
control inHection tan2s 'ere still attached to the side o+ the )rst sta#e& The
+ourth sta#e o+ the 6A variant has @00 2# less %ro%ellant 'hen com%ared to its
standard version& *t currentl! has ca%a"ilit! to launch 1$100 2# to 1 2m sun
s!nchronous or"it&
5.3 PSLV-XL
PSLV-IL is the u%rated version o+ Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its standard
con)#uration "oosted "! more %o'er+ul$ stretched stra%-on "oosters&
Dei#hin# 30 tonnes at li+t-oF$ the vehicle uses lar#er stra%-on motors (PS-=-
IL) to achieve hi#her %a!load ca%a"ilit!& PS-=-IL uses lar#er 13&/m$ 1
tonnes o+ solid %ro%ellants instead o+ 5 tonnes used in the earlier con)#uration
o+ PSLV& The )rst version o+ PSLV-IL 'as the launch o+ 6handra!aan-1 "! PSLV-
611& The %a!load ca%a"ilit! +or this variant is 1?00 2# com%ared to 1100 2#
+or the other variants& -ther launches include the ,*SAT,adar *ma#in# Satellite
and .SAT-1&
6 POPULAR LAUNCHES
PSLV flight D1(Failure): The *,S-1E satellite 'hich 'as %ro%osed to "e launched&
PSLV flight C1: =ar2ed *ndia<s )rst launch vehicle "uilt 'ithout ,ussian
assistance&
PSLV flight C6: *t 'as the )rst PSLV launch +rom second %ad$ usin# inte#rate-
trans+er-and-launch technolo#!&
PSLV flight C25: Launched 6handra!aan-1 success+ull!&
PSLV flight C25: The =ars -r"iter =ission (=-=)$ in+ormall!
called =an#al!aan is a =ars or"iter that 'as success+ull! inHected into Earth
or"it on / Novem"er 013 at J3? P= *ST (5J0? UT6) ato% a PSLV-IL launch
vehicle +rom Satish 9ha'an S%ace 6entre$ Shrihari2ota (S:A,)&
Laun! "a#$u%&'
IRS 1E( -n Se%tem"er 0$ 1553 a PSLV-91$ the )rst develo%mental 0i#ht$
roc2et +ailed durin# launch& A si#ni)cant attitude distur"ance occurred durin#
second to third-sta#e se%aration$ causin# the attitude control command to
e;ceed its ma;imum value& 3ecause o+ the %ro#rammin# error in the %itch
control loo% o+ the di#ital auto%ilot so+t'are in the #uidance and control
%rocessor$ the re8uired reversal o+ command %olarit! did not ta2e %lace$
causin# the %itch loo% to "ecome unsta"le$ resulted in loss o+ attitude
control and +ailure to achieve or"it&
IRS 1D: A PSLV-61 roc2et +ailed durin# launch on Se%tem"er 5$ 155A&
Anomalous interaction "et'een the %rimar! and secondar! %ressure
re#ulators o+ the +ourth sta#e caused a reduction in %ro%ellant 0o' and thrust
a+ter /0 s o+ "urn time& As a result$ the +ourth sta#e 'as shut do'n "! a
so+t'are override timer a+ter "urnin# @3/ s$ "e+ore reachin# the tar#et or"it or
de%letin# %ro%ellant& The inHection velocit! 'as 1@0 mKs lo'$ resultin# in an
or"it o+ 301;?3 2m instead o+ the %lanned ?1A 2m circular SS-& ,esultin#
or"it 'as %artiall! corrected usin# satellite<s on-"oard thrusters$ there"!
raisin# the %eri#ee to A3A 2m$ 'hile the a%o#ee remained at ?1 2m&