Indian Space Launch Vehicles launch India’s space missions with most recently the LVM3 with the Chandrayaan-3. Launchers or Launch Vehicles are used to carry spacecraft to space, Every country has its space launch vehicles that are being used to launch into space and India’s might holding the record of the first nation to land on the south pole of Lunar surface and mission for exploration of the sun with various space launch missions have been staged with performance of their indigenous space launch vehicles discussed in this article.
India has three active operational launch vehicles:
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (LVM3).
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun-synchronous orbits, a service that was, until the advent of the PSLV in 1993, only commercially available from Russia. PSLV can also launch small size satellites into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in transit to launch position
PSLV is configured with four variants like 6,4,2 solid rocket strap-on motors& core alone versions. Variants will be chosen based on the payload weights & orbit to be accomplished. PSLV has been a versatile launch vehicle deployed for launching all the three types of payloads viz. Earth Observation, Geo-stationary and Navigation. It has got highest success rate and considered as work horse of ISRO.
Some notable payloads launched by PSLV include India’s first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, India’s first interplanetary mission, Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), India’s first space observatory, Astrosat and India’s first Solar mission, Aditya-L1.
PSLV has gained credibility as a leading provider of rideshare services for small satellites, owing to its numerous multi-satellite deployment campaigns with auxiliary payloads, usually ride-sharing along with an Indian primary payload. As of June 2022, PSLV has launched 345 foreign satellites from 36 countries. Most notable among these was the launch of PSLV-C37 on 15th February 2017, successfully deploying 104 satellites in sun-synchronous orbit, tripling the previous record held by Russia for the highest number of satellites sent to space on a single launch, until 24 January 2021, when SpaceX launched the Transporter-1 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 143 satellites into orbit.
Payloads can be integrated in tandem configuration employing a Dual Launch Adapter. Smaller payloads are also placed on equipment deck and customized payload adapters.
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is a class of expendable launch systems. GSLV with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage has enabled the launching up to 2 tonne class of communication satellites. GSLV has been used in fifteen launches since 2001.
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in launch position
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) project was initiated in 1990 with the objective of acquiring an Indian launch capability for geosynchronous satellites.
GSLV uses major components that are already proven in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launch vehicles in the form of the S125/S139 solid rocket booster and the liquid-fueled Vikas engine. Due to the thrust required for injecting the satellite in a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) the third stage was to be powered by a LOX/LH2 Cryogenic engine which at that time India did not possess or have the technological expertise to build.
The first development flight of the GSLV (Mk I configuration) was launched on 18 April 2001 was a failure as the payload failed to reach the intended orbit parameters. The launcher was declared operational after the second development flight successfully launched the GSAT-2 satellite. During the initial years from the initial launch to 2014 the launcher had a checkered history with only 2 successful launches out of 7.
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (LVM3)
The LVM3 is the next generation launch vehicle capable of launching 4 tonne class of communication satellites and 10 tonne class of payloads to LEOs. The vehicle was developed with completely indigenized technologies including the C25 cryo stage. The launch vehicle has a track record of all successful launches even from the first development flight. The Human rated LVM3 is identified as the launch vehicle for Gaganyaan mission, which is named as HRLV.
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (LVM3) in launch position.
The Indian Space Launch Vehicles, Launch Vehicle Mark-3 or LVM3 (previously referred as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III or GSLV Mk-III) is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle primarily designed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch communication satellites into geostationary orbit, it is also due to launch crewed missions under the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. LVM3 has a higher payload capacity than its predecessor, GSLV.
After several delays and a sub-orbital test flight on 18 December 2014, ISRO successfully conducted the first orbital test launch of LVM3 on 5 June 2017 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Total development cost of project was ₹2,962.78 crore (equivalent to ₹45 billion or US$560 million in 2023). In June 2018, the Union Cabinet approved ₹4,338 crore (equivalent to ₹58 billion or US$720 million in 2023) to build 10 LVM3 rockets over a five-year period.
The LVM3 has launched CARE, India’s space capsule recovery experiment module, Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3, India’s second and third lunar missions, and will be used to carry Gaganyaan, the first crewed mission under Indian Human Spaceflight Program. In March 2022, UK-based global communication satellite provider OneWeb entered into an agreement with ISRO to launch OneWeb satellites aboard the LVM3 along with the PSLV, due to the launch services from Roscosmos being cut off, caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The first launch took place on 22 October 2022, injecting 36 satellites into Low Earth orbit.
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (LVM3) Cost ₹500 crore (US$63 million) per launch.
Other Indian Space Launch Vehicles
Indian Space Launch Vehicles gets increasingly add vehicles to its fleet, The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is being developed with complete indigenous technologies to meet the small satellite launch market on demand driven basis
In order to achieve high accuracy in placing satellites into their orbits, a combination of accuracy, efficiency, power and immaculate planning are required. ISRO’s Launch Vehicle Programme spans numerous centres. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, located in Thiruvananthapuram, is responsible for the design and development of launch vehicles. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre and ISRO Propulsion Complex, located at Valiamala and Mahendragiri respectively, develop the liquid and cryogenic stages for these launch vehicles. Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR, is the space port of India and is responsible for integration of launchers. It houses two operational launch for launching ISRO’s launch vehicles.
