| Operator | ISRO |
|---|---|
| Website | ISRO website |
| Mission duration | 1,658 seconds |
| Suborbital apogee | 586.7 kilometres (365 mi) |
| Spacecraft | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| Expendable launch vehicle | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| Manufacturer | ISRO |
| Launch mass | 294,000 kilograms (648,000 lb) |
| Payload mass | 1,294 kilograms (2,853 lb) |
| Dimensions | 44.4 metres (146 ft) (overall height) |
| Launch date | October 22, 2001 (IST) |
| Launch rocket | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| Launch site | Sriharikota Launching Range |
| Launch contractor | ISRO |
| Deactivated | October 22, 2001 |
| Orbit reference | Sun-synchronous |
| Orbit regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Payload items | TES BIRD PROBA |
| Cargo mass | 1,294 kilograms (2,853 lb) |
| Programme | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle missions |
| Previous mission | PSLV-C2 |
| Next mission | PSLV-C4 |
PSLV-C3 was the third operational launch and overall sixth mission of the PSLV program. This launch was also the forty-sixth launch by Indian Space Research Organisation 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] The vehicle carried Technology Experiment Satellite (Indian experimental Earth observation satellite), BIRD (German Earth observation satellite) and PROBA (experimental satellite from Belgium). This was India's and ISRO's second commercial spaceflight. PSLV-C3 was launched at 10:23 a.m. IST on 22 October 2001 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (then called "Sriharikota Range").[3][4][5][6][7][8]
Mission highlights
The mission involved placing Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) and Bispectral and Infrared Remote Detection (BIRD) in a 568 km circular orbit. It would then place the PRoject for On Board Autonomy (PROBA) satellite in an 568 km x 638 km elliptical orbit. This demonstrated ISRO capability to launch multiple satellites in multiple orbits. It also earned ISRO $1 million for each satellite.[1][2][9]
Mission parameters
- Mass:
- Total liftoff weight: 294,000 kilograms (648,000 lb)
- Payload weight: 1,294 kilograms (2,853 lb)
- Overall height: 44.4 metres (145.7 ft)
- Propellant:
- First stage: Solid HTPB based (138.0 + 54 tonnes)
- Second stage: Liquid UDMH + (40 tonnes)
- Third stage: Solid HTPB based (7 tonnes)
- Fourth stage: Liquid MMH + MON (2.0 tonnes)
- Engine:
- First stage: S139
- Second stage: Vikas
- Third stage:
- Fourth stage: 2 x PS-4
- Thrust:
- Altitude: 586.7 kilometres (365 mi)
- Maximum velocity:7,593 metres per second (24,911 ft/s) (recorded at time of fourth stage ignition)
- Duration: 1,658 seconds
Payload
PSLV-C3 carried and deployed total three satellites. Technology Experiment Satellite (TES) was the main payload and BIRD and PROBA were two auxiliary payloads that were mounted on PSLV-C3. In the flight sequence, TES was injected first, followed by BIRD and then PROBA.[1][2]
| Country | Name | Nos | Mass | Type | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | TES | 1 | 1,108 kg | Satellite | Experimental Earth observation satellite |
| Belgium | BIRD | 1 | 94 kg | Microsatellite | Remote sensing technology demonstration |
| Germany | PROBA | 1 | 92 kg | Microsatellite | Earth observation technology demonstration |
Launch and planned flight profile
PSLV-C3 was launched at 10:23 a.m. IST on 22 October 2001 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (then called "Sriharikota Launching Range"). The mission was planned with pre-flight prediction of covering overall distance of 586.668 kilometres (365 mi). The total flight time was 1658 seconds as PROBA was to be launched into an elliptical orbit after TES and BIRD were launched into a circular orbit.[9] The orbit raise was done using the yaw RCS thrusters in off-modulated mode.[11]
Following was the planned flight profile.[1][2][3][5][6][7][8]
| Stage | Time (seconds) | Altitude (kilometer) | Velocity (meter/sec) | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First stage | T+0 | 0.02 | 452 | First stage ignition | Lift-off |
| T+1.24 | Ignition of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors | ||||
| T+25.04 | 2.515 | 551 | Ignition of 2 air-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+68.04 | 23.472 | 1,155 | Separation of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+90.04 | 40.061 | 1,644 | Separation of 2 air-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+112.73 | 67.601 | 2,028 | First stage separation | ||
| Second stage | T+112.93 | 67.828 | 2,027 | Second stage ignition | |
| T+156.73 | 115.604 | 2,284 | Heat shield separation | ||
| T+278.81 | 236.272 | 4,099 | Second stage separation | ||
| Third stage | T+280.01 | 237.433 | 4,097 | Third stage ignition | |
| T+498.33 | 455.487 | 6,086 | Third stage separation | ||
| Fourth stage | T+520.60 | 460.818 | 6,065 | Fourth stage ignition | |
| T+914.92 | 571.247 | 7,575 | Fourth stage thrust cut-off | ||
| T+971.92 | 572.080 | TES separation | |||
| T+1,011.92 | 572.709 | BIRD separation | |||
| T+1,091.92 | 574.064 | PROBA orbit raise start | |||
| T+1,552.50 | 585.018 | 7,593 | PROBA orbit raise stop | ||
| T+1,602.50 | 586.688 | 7,592 | PROBA orbit separation | Mission over |
Fourth Stage Break-up event
The fourth stage of the PSLV had undergone a break-up event on 19 December 2001, likely caused by an explosion.[12] After the explosion of PSLV-C3, ISRO carried out passivation of the upper stages of the PSLV, from the PSLV-C4 mission onwards.[13] As per ISRO, this event generated 386 debris objects, of which 76 were in orbit in 2021,[14][15] falling to 41 by 2025.[16]
See also
References
- ^ "PSLV-C3". Indian Space Research Organisation. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "PSLV-C3 brochure". Indian Space Research Organisation. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "PSLV-C3 Successfully Launched : Puts Three Satellites In Orbit". defense-aerospace.com. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "ISRO's timeline. 1960s to today. #46". Indian Space Research Organisation. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "SPACEWARN Activities". NASA. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "Space Launch Report: PSLV". spacelaunchreport.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "PSLV-C3 Successfully Launched : Puts 3 Satellites In Orbit". Press Information Bureau. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "PSLV-C3 launches three satellites". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ SUBRAMANIAN, T. S. "An ISRO landmark". Frontline. Retrieved 2022-03-25.
- ^ "PSLV details". Indian Space Research Organisation. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 10 Jul 2016.
- ^ "PSLV-C4". www.isro.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ Bandyopadhyay, Parthasarathi; Sharma, Radhey; Adimurthy, V. (October 2002). Analysis of the possible cause of break up of PSLV-C3/PS4 stage. 34th COSPAR Scientific Assembly. Houston, Texas: The Second World Space Congress. p. 1374. Bibcode:2002cosp...34E1374B
- ^ Kosambe, Santosh (2019). "Overview of the Space Debris Mitigation Activities in ISRO". Journal of Aircraft and Space Technology. 3: 199–200. – via ResearchGate.
- ^ Chethan Kumar (Mar 25, 2022). "In 2021, 135 launches put 1.8k objects in space, 102 launches put 522 objects in 2020; Isro flags off debris concern | India News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ "Space Situational Assessment 2021 - ISRO". www.isro.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
- ^ "Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for 2024 Released". www.isro.gov.in. Archived 2025-05-29 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-05-31.