Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could not complete its 101st satellite launch mission, PSLV-C61/EOS-09, due to a technical glitch.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about PSLV-C61 Mission; PSLV.
ISRO’s 101st satellite launch mission
- PSLV-C61 rocket was carrying the Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-09). However, a few minutes after the liftoff, the rocket suffered an issue in its third stage and the PSLV-C61 mission ended in a failure. (The chamber pressure in the casing that contained the third-stage motor fell during the flight)
- The 1,700-kg Earth observation satellite was intended to be placed at an altitude of about 597 km in a sun-synchronous polar orbit (the satellite was to pass over a given place at the same time every day).
- The EOS-09 satellite carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, capable of providing images of the Earth in all weather conditions. It was designed to produce high-quality radar images for civilian applications (such as land-use mapping and hydrology studies) and also for defence surveillance.
ISRO will assess the reasons for the loss of pressure and subsequently reattempt the mission EOS-09.
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
- PSLV is an expendable launch vehicle developed and operated by ISRO since its first successful launch in 1994.
- Workhorse of ISRO known for its reliability, versatility, and cost-effectiveness since 1994.
- Stages: Four-stages launch vehicle
- First stage is powered by a solid rocket motor (burns hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene-bound (HTPB) propellant)
- Second stage uses a liquid propulsion system (Vikas Engine which uses unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide as oxidiser)
- Third stage is a solid rocket motor that provides the upper stages high thrust after the atmospheric phase of the launch (burns HTPB propellant)
- Fourth stage is a liquid-fueled engine (burns a combination of monomethylhydrazine and mixed oxides of nitrogen in two engines.
- PSLV can deliver payloads of up to:
- 3250 kg to Low Earth Orbit
- 1600 kg to Sun Synchronous Orbit
- 1400 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit
- Successful launches: Chandrayaan-1 Mission (2008), Mars Orbiter Mission/Mangalyaan (2013), 104 satellites at one go (2017).
- It has been used for launching a wide range of payloads, including Earth Observation satellites, Navigation satellites, Communication satellites, and scientific payloads for various domestic and international customers.
- Success rate: Since their introduction in the 1990s, the PSLV rockets have only failed thrice- the first during the inaugural flight in 1993, once in 2017 and the latest in 2025.
Also Read: ISRO’s Satellite Launch Vehicles