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Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is India's four-stage expendable launch-vehicle family, using alternating solid and liquid stages. Across its historical G configuration and CA, DL, QL, and XL variants, PSLV flew 64 times from September 1993 through January 2026, with 60 successful missions and four unsuccessful missions.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) · Stored/public JPEG is byte-identical to the Wikimedia Commons original PSLV-C50, CMS-01- Lift-off 003.jpg (3280x4928, 1138403 bytes, SHA-256 9303260b42febac91b4f493165b3972ceb765b78e83fd13bf12597ce2f7b8cec). The Commons record identifies the exact 17 December 2020 PSLV-C50/CMS-01 launch photograph as authored by the Indian Space Research Organisation and sourced from ISRO’s CMS-01 gallery: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PSLV-C50,_CMS-01-_Lift-off_003.jpg. The record applies the Government Open Data License - India (GODL-India), which grants a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, adapt, publish, display, and create derivative works for lawful commercial and non-commercial purposes, subject to provider/source/licence attribution and no suggestion of endorsement; the licence excludes official names, crests, logos, symbols, and other separately protected rights. License text: https://data.gov.in/sites/default/files/Gazette_Notification_OGDL.pdf. Current official ISRO mission context: https://www.isro.gov.in/mission_PSLV_C50.html?timeline=timeline. This is an asset-level GODL-India reuse basis, not a public-domain claim or permission to use ISRO marks as endorsement. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
PSLVISRO workhorsePolar Satellite Launch Vehicle family
Family Name
PSLV
Full Name
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Status
active
Type
rocket

Details

Description
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is India's four-stage expendable launch-vehicle family, using alternating solid and liquid stages. Across its historical G configuration and CA, DL, QL, and XL variants, PSLV flew 64 times from September 1993 through January 2026, with 60 successful missions and four unsuccessful missions.
Dimensions
Diameter
…
Height
…
First Flight Year
1,993
Manufacturer
Operator
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      S139 first-stage solid motor.
    • Count
      6
      Placement
      booster
      Propulsion System
      Role
      booster
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      Six original PSOM strap-on motors used by the historical PSLV-G configuration.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Vikas-powered PS2 second stage; family-level Vikas identity retained.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      S7 / PS3 solid third-stage motor.
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      fourth-stage
      Variant Notes
      Twin PS-4 storable-propellant liquid engines.
    Name
    PSLV-G
    Notes
    Original standard PSLV configuration: S139 first stage with six original PSOM strap-ons, Vikas second stage, S7 third stage, and twin PS-4 fourth-stage liquid engines.
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      S139 first-stage solid motor; PSLV-CA omits strap-ons.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Vikas-powered PS2 second stage; family-level Vikas identity retained.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      S7 / PS3 solid third-stage motor.
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      fourth-stage
      Variant Notes
      Twin PS-4 storable-propellant liquid engines.
    Name
    PSLV-CA
    Notes
    Core-Alone PSLV configuration: no strap-on motors, with S139, Vikas, S7, and twin PS-4 stages.
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      S139 first-stage solid motor.
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      booster
      Propulsion System
      Role
      booster
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      Two S12 / PSOM-XL strap-on motors.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Vikas-powered PS2 second stage; family-level Vikas identity retained.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      S7 / PS3 solid third-stage motor.
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      fourth-stage
      Variant Notes
      Twin PS-4 storable-propellant liquid engines.
    Name
    PSLV-DL
    Notes
    PSLV-DL configuration: S139 first stage with two S12 strap-ons, Vikas second stage, S7 third stage, and twin PS-4 fourth-stage liquid engines.
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      S139 first-stage solid motor.
    • Count
      4
      Placement
      booster
      Propulsion System
      Role
      booster
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      Four S12 / PSOM-XL strap-on motors.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Vikas-powered PS2 second stage; family-level Vikas identity retained.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      S7 / PS3 solid third-stage motor.
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      fourth-stage
      Variant Notes
      Twin PS-4 storable-propellant liquid engines.
    Name
    PSLV-QL
    Notes
    PSLV-QL configuration: S139 first stage with four S12 strap-ons, Vikas second stage, S7 third stage, and twin PS-4 fourth-stage liquid engines.
  • Entries
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      S139 first-stage solid motor.
    • Count
      6
      Placement
      booster
      Propulsion System
      Role
      booster
      Stage
      first-stage
      Variant Notes
      Six S12 / PSOM-XL strap-on motors.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      second-stage
      Variant Notes
      Vikas-powered PS2 second stage; family-level Vikas identity retained.
    • Count
      1
      Placement
      core
      Propulsion System
      Role
      main
      Stage
      third-stage
      Variant Notes
      S7 / PS3 solid third-stage motor.
    • Count
      2
      Placement
      upper
      Propulsion System
      Role
      upper-stage
      Stage
      fourth-stage
      Variant Notes
      Twin PS-4 storable-propellant liquid engines.
    Name
    PSLV-XL
    Notes
    PSLV-XL configuration: S139 first stage with six enlarged S12 strap-ons, Vikas second stage, S7 third stage, and twin PS-4 fourth-stage liquid engines.
Rocket Specs
Reusability
expendable
Stages Count
4

Links

Official Url
https://www.isro.gov.in/ISRO_EN/PSLV_CON.html
Wikipedia Url
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Satellite_Launch_Vehicle

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 09:56:43 UTC
Updated Time
August 20, 2026 at 10:23:27 UTC
Image
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Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle - AeroVia