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ISRO launches PSLV-C34 with 20 satellites
22 Jun 2016
India sets new mile stone in Space Technology:
PSLV C34 successfully injects 20 satellites into orbit
India made a remarkable leap in space technology when Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) used its workhorse PSLV-C34 to inject 20 satellites including 17 foreign satellites into orbit in a single mission and set a new mile stone on Wednesday.
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was designed and developed in the early 1990s at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The PSLV is one of world's most reliable launch vehicles. It has been in service for over twenty years and has launched various satellites for historic missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, Space Capsule Recovery Experiment; Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.The PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately. The first stage, one of the largest solid rocket motors in the world, carries 138 tonnes of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene urethane-bound (HTPB) propellant and develops a maximum thrust of about 4,800 kN. The 2.8-m diameter motor case is made of maraging steel and has an empty mass of 30,200 kg. Pitch and yaw control during first stage flight is provided by the Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control System (SITVC), which injects an aqueous solution of strontium perchlorate into the nozzle to produce asymmetric thrust. The solution is stored in two cylindrical aluminum tanks strapped to the solid rocket motor and pressurized with nitrogen. Roll control is provided by two small liquid engines on opposite sides of the stage, the Roll Control Thrusters (RCT).
ISRO has envisaged a number of versions of PSLV to cater to different mission requirements. Currently, there are three operational variants of the PSLV — the standard (PSLV), the core-alone (PSLV-CA) without the six strap-on booster motors, and the (PSLV-XL) version, which carries more solid fuel in its strap-on motors than the standard version.
PSLV-XL is the up rated version of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its standard configuration boosted by more powerful, stretched strap-on boosters. Currently launched, PSLV-C34 is the 320-tonne PSLV-XL Vehicle that took off on its 36th flight at 9.26am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre with 20 satellites including its primary payload Cartosat-2 series, which provides remote sensing services, and earth observation and imaging satellites from US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia.
Cartosat-2 was placed in orbit at 9.44am. With Cartosat-2 weighing 727.5kg, PSLV lifted off a total of 1,288kg in to space and began placing the satellites into orbit about 17minutes later.
In the final stages of the mission, ISRO also demonstrated the vehicle's capability to place satellites in different orbits. In the demonstration, the vehicle reignited twice after its fourth and final stage and moved further a few kilometres into another orbit.
The Impact of this successful mission will help in cartographic applications, rural and urban applications utility management like road network monitoring, water distribution. Further, these satellites will be useful in land information system and geographical information system.
ISRO launches PSLV-C34 with 20 satellites
Panoramic View of Fully integrated PSLV-C34 with all the 20 Spacecrafts being moved to second launch pad (SLP). Photo-ISRO