PSLV Rocket
Context: On May 18, 2025, ISRO's PSLV-C61 mission failed due to a third-stage pressure anomaly, resulting in the loss of the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite.
Important Pointers:
PSLV: It is ISRO’s third-generation launch vehicle and its most reliable workhorse for launching satellites into polar and geostationary orbits.
Launch Capability: Can carry payloads of up to 1,750 kg to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) and up to 3,800 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
First Launch: First flight in 1993 (failed), first successful flight in 1994.
Notable Achievements: PSLV-C37 (2017): Launched 104 satellites in a single mission, a world record at the time; Launched important missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan (Mars Orbiter Mission), and RISAT series.
Staging System: Four-stage rocket alternating between solid and liquid fuel stages:
PS1 – Solid with strap-on boosters for liftoff thrust.
PS2 – Liquid (Vikas engine) for stable atmospheric ascent.
PS3 – Solid for upper-atmospheric propulsion.
PS4 – Liquid (twin engines) for final orbital insertion.
Variants: PSLV-G (Generic); PSLV-CA (Core Alone, without strap-ons); PSLV-XL (Extra Large strap-ons); QL/DSL (Newer variants with different strap-on configs)
Reusability / Innovation: PSLV-C53 and later missions used the PS4 stage as POEM (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module) for space-based experiments post payload deployment.
Recent Event: PSLV-C61 (May 2025) failed due to a third-stage pressure issue, marking a rare failure in over 100 launches.