Launch vehicles of ISRO

ISRO manufactures launch vehicles to execute its various space exploration goals. ISRO operates multiple launch vehicles such as the PSLV, the GSLV, the LVM3, and the SSLV.

Launch vehicles

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

Main article: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status: Active

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV is the first medium-lift launch vehicle from India which enabled India to launch all its remote-sensing satellites into Sun-synchronous orbit. PSLV had a failure in its maiden launch in 1993. Besides two other partial failures, PSLV has become the primary workhorse for ISRO with more than 50 launches placing hundreds of Indian and foreign satellites into orbit.[1]

Decade-wise summary of PSLV launches
Decade Successful Partial success Failure Total
1990s 3 1 1 5
2000s 11 0 0 11
2010s 33 0 1 34
2020s 10 0 2 12
Total 57 1 4 62

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

Main article: Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status: Active

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is a medium-lift launch vehicle which was envisaged in 1990s to transfer significant payloads to geostationary orbit. ISRO initially had a great problem realising GSLV as the development of CE-7.5 in India took a decade. The US had blocked India from obtaining cryogenic technology from Russia, leading India to develop its own cryogenic engines.[2]

Decade-wise summary of GSLV Launches
Decade Successful Partial success Failure Total
2000s 2 2 1 5
2010s 6 0 2 8
2020s 4 0 1 5
Total 12 2 4 18

Launch Vehicle Mark-3

Main article: LVM3
Status: Active

The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3), previously known as the GSLV Mk III, is a medium-lift launch vehicle and the heaviest rocket in operational service with ISRO. Equipped with a more powerful cryogenic engine and boosters than GSLV, it has significantly higher payload capacity and allows India to launch all its communication satellites.[3] LVM3 is expected to carry India's first crewed mission to space[4] and will be the testbed for SE-2000 engine which will power India's heavy-lift rockets in the future.[5]

Decade-wise summary of LVM3 launches
Decade Successful Partial success Failure Total
2010s 4 0 0 4
2020s 5 0 0 5
Total 9 0 0 9

Small Satellite Launch Vehicle

Main article: Small Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status: Active

The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by the ISRO with payload capacity to deliver 500 kg (1,100 lb) to low Earth orbit (500 km (310 mi)) or 300 kg (660 lb) to Sun-synchronous orbit (500 km (310 mi)) for launching small satellites, with the capability to support multiple orbital drop-offs.[6][7][8]

Decade-wise summary of SSLV launches
Decade Successful Partial success Failure Total
2020s 2 0 1 3

In development

Next Generation Launch Vehicle

Main article: Next Generation Launch Vehicle

ISRO's current launch vehicles lack the capacity for launching very heavy satellites to the geostationary orbit beyond 4 ton class, a problem that is planned to be fixed with the introduction of the NGLV.[9][10] ISRO is studying heavy (HLV) and super heavy-lift launch vehicle (SHLV). Modular launchers are being designed, with interchangeable parts, to reduce production time. A 10-tonne (11-short-ton; 9.8-long-ton) capacity HLV and an SHLV capable of delivering 50–100 tonnes (55–110 short tons; 49–98 long tons) into orbit have been mentioned in statements and presentations from ISRO officials.[11][12]

Retired

Satellite Launch Vehicle

Main article: Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status: Retired

The Satellite Launch Vehicle (known as SLV-3) was the first space rocket to be developed by India. The initial launch in 1979 was a failure followed by a successful launch in 1980 making India the sixth country in world with orbital launch capability. The development of bigger rockets began afterwards.[13]

Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle

Main article: Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status: Retired

The Augmented or Advanced Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was another small launch vehicle released in 1980s to develop technologies required to place satellites into geostationary orbit. ISRO did not have adequate funds to develop ASLV and PSLV at once. Since ASLV suffered repeated failures, it was dropped in favour of a new project.[14]

Sounding rockets

Rohini sounding rockets

Main article: Rohini (rocket family)
Status: Active

Rohini is a series of sounding rockets developed by ISRO for meteorological and atmospheric study.[15] These sounding rockets are capable of carrying payloads of 2 to 200 kilograms (4.4 to 440.9 lb) between altitudes of 100 to 500 kilometres (62 to 311 mi).[16] The ISRO currently uses RH-200, RH-300, Mk-II, RH-560 Mk-II and RH-560 Mk-III rockets, which are launched from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in Thumba and the SDSC in Sriharikota.

Advanced Technology Vehicle

Main article: Advanced Technology Vehicle
Status: Active

The Advanced Technology Vehicle is a modified Indian sounding rocket developed by ISRO.[17] It is based on the Rohini-560 sounding rocket. The ATV programme was created to test the development of a native dual-mode air-breathing scramjet engine. As of 2016, ISRO has flown two test missions.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ISRO wants to transfer 50% of PSLV development to industry consortium, says V. Narayanan". The Hindu. 6 November 2025. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  2. ^ "Successful Indian GSLV Launch Features Domestic Upper Stage". SpaceNews. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  3. ^ "'India masters rocket science': Here's why the new ISRO launch is special". Hindustan Times. 15 November 2018. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Gaganyaan: Isro's unmanned space mission for December 2020 likely to be delayed". Business Standard. 16 August 2020. Archived from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021 – via Press Trust of India.
  5. ^ "Episode 90 – An update on ISRO's activities with S Somanath and R Umamaheshwaran". AstrotalkUK. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  6. ^ Gunter's space page: SSLV Archived 17 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "SSLV". space.skyrocket.de. Archived from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  8. ^ "Department of Space presentation on 18 January 2019" (PDF). 18 January 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ^ "In A 1st, India To Launch Its Big Communications Satellite On SpaceX Rocket". NDTV.com. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  10. ^ "ISRO's commercial arm to launch GSAT-20 satellite on SpaceX's Falcon-9 in 2024". The Hindu. 3 January 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  11. ^ "ISRO developing heavy lift launch vehicles". The Hindi. Thiruvanantpuram. 30 May 2015. Archived from the original on 7 April 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. ^ Somanath, S. (3 August 2020). Indian Innovations in Space Technology: Achievements and Aspirations (Speech). Regional Science Centre and Planetarium, Calicut: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via imgur.
  13. ^ "First Successful Launch of SLV-3 – Silver Jubilee" (PDF). ISRO. July–September 2005. p. 17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Augumented Satellite Launch Vehicle". Archived from the original on 29 August 2009. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
  15. ^ "RH". www.astronautix.com. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  16. ^ Subramanium, T S (16 January 2004). "Reaching out to the stars". Frontline. Archived from the original on 19 February 2010. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  17. ^ "ISRO's Scramjet Engine Technology Demonstrator Successfully Flight Tested". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Scramjet Engine - TD". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.