UPSC Express

Headline : Explained: What makes PSLV-C45 special

Details :

In News:

• ISRO has successfully launched the PSLV-C45 ferrying satellites to multiple orbits in a single launch.

 

About PSLV-C45

• PSLV-C45 mission involved launching of following satellites in 3 different orbits

1. EMISAT – 749 km
2. 28 foreign satellites – 504 km
3. Experimental satellites – 485 km

 

Unique features of PSLV-C45

The PSLV-C45 launch is unique in following ways

1. PSLV-QL variant

• It was used for the 1st time
• PSLV-QL has 4 strap-on motors to provide additional thrust at various stages of the rocket travel.

1. 3- Orbits in single launch

• This is the 1st time ISRO launched satellites in 3 different orbits

1. PS-4 as orbital platform

• In a normal scenario, the last stage of a PSLV rocket PS-4, after releasing the primary satellite in space becomes dead and categorized as space debris.
• In PSLV-C45, the PS-4 stage moved to a lower orbit at around 458 km to establish an orbital platform.
• This orbital platform is then used to house experimental satellites

1. Multiple-firing of 4th stage

• In order to inject satellites into multiple orbits, for the 1st time the 4th stage engine was fired twice.
• Normally engines used to fire only once.

 

In brief: Multiple orbit launch

• In the 1st step PSLV C-45 placed EMISAT to the 748 km sun-synchronous polar orbit.
• Then it made one complete revolution around Earth pole to pole.
• It lowered itself into an 504 km orbit, injected the 28 international customer satellites,
• Made another round of Earth, pole to pole and attained a lower orbit of 485 km, where the fourth stage of the rocket will act as orbital platform for experimental satellites.
• The 4th stage engines fired twice in order to achieve the additional revolution around the earth.
• The PS-4 stage experimental satellites include
• ARIS satellite of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology to study the structure and composition of ionosphere.
• Automatic Identification System (AIS) for Maritime satellite applications
• Amateur radio applications satellite