PSLV-C2
Model of the PSLV launch vehicle
NamesPolar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Mission typeDeployment of three satellites
OperatorISRO
WebsiteISRO website
Mission duration1117.5 seconds
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftPolar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Spacecraft typeExpendable launch vehicle
ManufacturerIndian Space Research Organisation
Launch mass294,000 kg (648,000 lb)
Payload mass1,202 kg (2,650 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date26 May 1999, 06:22 UTC
RocketPolar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Launch siteSriharikota Launching Range
ContractorISRO
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSun-synchronous orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Payload
Oceansat-1
KITSAT-3
DLR-Tubsat
 

PSLV-C2 was the second operational launch and overall fifth mission of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program. This launch was also the forty-third launch by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since its first mission on 1 January 1962. The vehicle carried three satellites which were deployed in the Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit.[1][2][3][4][5] The vehicle carried India's first remote sensing satellite Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) as the main payload. It also carried South Korean satellite KITSAT-3 and German satellite DLR-Tubsat as auxiliary payloads.[1] PSLV-C2 was the first Indian Expendable launch vehicle to carry and deploy more than one satellite in a mission. This was also India's and ISRO's first commercial spaceflight where South Korea and Germany each paid US$1.0 million (equivalent to $1.76 million in 2022) to ISRO for launching their satellites.[5][6]

Mission parameters

  • Mass:
    • Total liftoff weight: 294,000 kg (648,000 lb)
    • Payload weight: 1,202 kg (2,650 lb)
  • Overall height: 44.4 m (146 ft)
  • Propellant:
    • First stage: Solid HTPB based (138.0 + 54 tonnes)
    • Second stage: Liquid UDMH + N2O4 (4.06 tonnes)
    • Third stage: Solid HTPB based (7.2 tonnes)
    • Fourth stage: Liquid MMH + N2O4 (2.0 tonnes)
  • Engine:
    • First stage: S139
    • Second stage: Vikas
    • Third stage:
    • Fourth stage: 2 x PS-4
  • Thrust:
    • First stage: 4628 + 662 x 6 kN
    • Second stage: 725 kN
    • Third stage: 340 kN
    • Fourth stage: 7.2 x 2 kN
  • Altitude: 735.1 km (456.8 mi)
  • Maximum velocity: 7,490 m/s (24,600 ft/s) (recorded at time of fourth stage ignition)
  • Duration: 1117.5 seconds [1][7]

Payload

PSLV-C2 carried and deployed total three satellites. Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) was the main payload and KITSAT-3 and DLR-Tubsat were two auxiliary payloads that were mounted on PSLV-C2 equipment bay diametrically opposite to each other. Oceansat-1, was mounted on top of the equipment bay. In the flight sequence, IRS-P4 was injected first, followed by KITSAT-3 and then DLR-Tubsat.[1][8][9]

CountryNameNo.MassTypeObjective
India IndiaOceansat-111050 kgIndian Remote Sensing SatelliteRemote sensing
South Korea South KoreaKITSAT-31107 kgMicrosatelliteTest and demonstrate new satellite bus & its payloads
Germany GermanyDLR-Tubsat145 kgMicrosatelliteTest newly developed attitude control system

Launch and planned flight profile

Heat shield of PSLV displayed at HAL heritage center.

PSLV-C2 was launched at 06:22 UTC on 26 May 1999 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (then called "Sriharikota Launching Range"). The mission was planned with pre-flight prediction of perigee and apogee of 727 km (452 mi). The actual perigee was 723.1 km, apogee was 735.1 km. Following was the planned flight profile.[1][2][3][4][5][7]

StageTime
(seconds)
Altitude
(kilometer)
Velocity
(meter/sec)
EventRemarks
First stageT+00.02450First stage ignitionLift-off
T+1.20.02450Ignition of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors
T+25.12.43540Ignition of 2 air-lit strap-on motors
T+68.123.101,100Separation of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors
T+90.140.211,520Separation of 2 air-lit strap-on motors
T+117.772.081,970First stage separation
Second stageT+117.972.381,970Second stage ignition
T+162.7120.712,210Heat shield separation
T+167.7126.602,260Closed-loop guidance initiation
T+284.5254.034,070Second stage separation
Third stageT+285.7255.464,060Third stage ignition
T+506.4533.575,970Third stage separation
Fourth stageT+584.4605.445,870Fourth stage ignition
T+991.7728.257,490Fourth stage thrust cut-off
T+1017.5728.667,490Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) separation
T+1067.5729.517,490KITSAT-3 separation
T+1117.5730.417,490DLR-Tubsat separation

The launch was witnessed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee (then Prime Minister of India), Murli Manohar Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and N. Chandrababu Naidu.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "PSLV-C2". Indian Space Research Organisation. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Space Launch Report: PSLV". Space Launch Report. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 "ISRO timeline since 1960s". Indian Space Research Organisation. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 "PSLV-C2 mission". iisc.ernet.in. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "The science and commerce of PSLV". Frontline (magazine). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 "PSLV Successfully Launches Three Satellites". Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  7. 1 2 "PSLV-C2 brochure" (PDF). Indian Space Research Organisation. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  8. "Korea Institute of Technology Satellite-3". eoportal.org. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  9. "TUBSAT (Technical University of Berlin Satellite) Program". eoportal.org. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
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