PSLV-C2 was the second operational launch and overall fifth mission of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program. This launch was also the forty-third launch by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since its first mission on 1 January 1962. The vehicle carried three satellites which were deployed in the Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. The vehicle carried India's first remote sensing satellite Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) as the main payload. It also carried South Korean satellite KITSAT-3 and German satellite DLR-Tubsat as auxiliary payloads. PSLV-C2 was the first Indian Expendable launch vehicle to carry and deploy more than one satellite in a mission. This was also India's and ISRO's first commercial spaceflight where South Korea and Germany each paid US$1.0 million (equivalent to $ million in ) to ISRO for launching their satellites.
Mission parameters Mass: Total liftoff weight: Payload weight: Overall height: Propellant: First stage: Solid HTPB based (138.0 + 54 tonnes) Second stage: Liquid UDMH + (4.06 tonnes) Third stage: Solid HTPB based (7.2 tonnes) Fourth stage: Liquid MMH + (2.0 tonnes) Engine: First stage: S139 Second stage: Vikas Third stage: Fourth stage: 2 x PS-4 Thrust: First stage: 4628 + 662 x 6 kN Second stage: 725 kN Third stage: 340 kN Fourth stage: 7.2 x 2 kN Altitude: Maximum velocity: (recorded at time of fourth stage ignition) Duration: 1117.5 seconds
Payload PSLV-C2 carried and deployed total three satellites. Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) was the main payload and KITSAT-3 and DLR-Tubsat were two auxiliary payloads that were mounted on PSLV-C2 equipment bay diametrically opposite to each other. Oceansat-1, was mounted on top of the equipment bay. In the flight sequence, IRS-P4 was injected first, followed by KITSAT-3 and then DLR-Tubsat.
Country Name No. Mass Type Objective India Oceansat-1 1 1050 kg Indian Remote Sensing Satellite Remote sensing South Korea KITSAT-3 1 107 kg Microsatellite Test and demonstrate new satellite bus & its payloads Germany DLR-Tubsat 1 45 kg Microsatellite Test newly developed attitude control system
Launch and planned flight profile
PSLV-C2 was launched at 06:22 UTC on 26 May 1999 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (then called "Sriharikota Launching Range"). The mission was planned with pre-flight prediction of perigee and apogee of . The actual perigee was 723.1 km, apogee was 735.1 km. Following was the planned flight profile.
Stage Time(seconds) Altitude (kilometer) Velocity(meter/sec) Event Remarks First stage T+0 0.02 450 First stage ignition Lift-off T+1.2 0.02 450 Ignition of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors T+25.1 2.43 540 Ignition of 2 air-lit strap-on motors T+68.1 23.10 1,100 Separation of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors T+90.1 40.21 1,520 Separation of 2 air-lit strap-on motors T+117.7 72.08 1,970 First stage separation Second stage T+117.9 72.38 1,970 Second stage ignition T+162.7 120.71 2,210 Heat shield separation T+167.7 126.60 2,260 Closed-loop guidance initiation T+284.5 254.03 4,070 Second stage separation Third stage T+285.7 255.46 4,060 Third stage ignition T+506.4 533.57 5,970 Third stage separation Fourth stage T+584.4 605.44 5,870 Fourth stage ignition T+991.7 728.25 7,490 Fourth stage thrust cut-off T+1017.5 728.66 7,490 Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) separation T+1067.5 729.51 7,490 KITSAT-3 separation T+1117.5 730.41 7,490 DLR-Tubsat separation
The launch was witnessed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee (then Prime Minister of India), Murli Manohar Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and N. Chandrababu Naidu.
See also Indian Space Research Organisation Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
References