PSLV proves its multi-mission capability with second launch

Sriharikota: Living up to its reputation as ISRO’s versatile workhorse, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) today completed its 18th successful mission in a row with the launch of communication satellite GSAT-12 from here.

It was a special mission for ISRO as the agency used the most powerful ‘XL’ configuration for today’s launch — similar to the one used for the successful Chandrayaan-I, India’s moon mission in 2008.

Replicating its uninterrupted success, the PSLV has yet again demonstrated India’s capabilities in the multi-billion dollar global commercial launch market. This is for the second time that PSLV has been used for launching a communication satellite after Kalpana-1 in 2002.

Barring the lone failure of PSLV-D1, the first developmental flight, on 20 September, 1993 the succeeding 18 flights have proved successful. Since 1994, the PSLV, designed and developed by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, has launched 45 satellites, including 25 foreign spacecrafts.

The ‘XL’ version used six extended solid strap on motors with each strap-on carrying 12 tonnes of solid propellant as against nine tonnes in the standard version. With its variant configurations, PSLV has proved its multi-payload, multi-mission capability in a single launch and its geosynchronous launch capability.

PTI