It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that was, until the advent of the PSLV, commercially viable only from Russia.
PSLV can also launch small size satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The PSLV has launched 41 satellites (19 Indian and 22 from other countries) into a variety of orbits till date. In April 2008, it successfully launched 10 satellites in one go, breaking a world record previously held by Russia.
PSLV costs 17 million USD flyaway cost for each launch.
 PSLV-C8 (CA Variant) carrying the AGILE x-ray and γ-ray astronomical satellite of the ASI lifting off from Sriharikota | |
| Function | Medium Lift Launch System |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | ISRO |
| Country of origin |  India |
| Size | |
| Height | 44 metres (140 ft) |
| Diameter | 2.8 metres (9 ft 2 in) |
| Mass | 294,000 kilograms (650,000 lb) |
| Stages | 4 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to LEO | 3,250 kilograms (7,200 lb) |
| Payload to HCO | 1,600 kilograms (3,500 lb)[1] |
| Payload to GTO | 1,060 kilograms (2,300 lb)[1] |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Active |
| Launch sites | Sriharikota |
| Total launches | 16 PSLV: 10 PSLV-CA: 5 PSLV-XL: 1 |
| Successes | 14 PSLV: 8 PSLV-CA: 5 PSLV-XL: 1 |
| Failures | 1 (PSLV) |
| Partial failures | 1 (PSLV) |
| Maiden flight | PSLV: 20 September 1993 PSLV-CA: 23 April 2007 PSLV-XL: 22 October 2008 |
| Notable payloads | Chandrayaan-1 |
| Boosters (Stage 0) | |
| No boosters | 6 |
| Engines | 1 solid |
| Thrust | 502.600 kN |
| Specific impulse | 262 sec |
| Burn time | 44 seconds |
| Fuel | HTPB (solid) |
| First stage | |
| Engines | 1 solid |
| Thrust | 4,860 kN |
| Specific impulse | 269 sec |
| Burn time | 105 seconds |
| Fuel | HTPB (solid) |
| Second stage | |
| Engines | 1 Vikas |
| Thrust | 725 kN |
| Specific impulse | 293 sec |
| Burn time | 158 seconds |
| Fuel | N2O4/UDMH |
| Third stage | |
| Engines | 1 solid |
| Thrust | 328 kN |
| Specific impulse | 294 sec |
| Burn time | 83 seconds |
| Fuel | Solid |
| Fourth stage | |
| Engines | 2 liquid |
| Thrust | 14 kN |
| Specific impulse | 308 sec |
| Burn time | 425 seconds |
| Fuel | MMH/UDMH |
Development
PSLV is designed and developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The inertial systems are developed by ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) at Thiruvananthapuram.
The liquid propulsion stages for the second and fourth stages of PSLV as well as the reaction control systems are developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), also at Thiruvananthapuram. The solid propellant motors are processed by Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, which also carries out launch operations.
After some delays, the PSLV had its first launch on 20 September 1993. Although all main engines performed as expected, an altitude control problem was reported in the second and third stages. After this initial setback, ISRO met complete success with the third developmental launch in 1996. Further successful launches followed in 1997, 1999, and 2001.
Variant  | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSLV (Standard) | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | |
| PSLV-CA (Core Alone) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Launched 10 satellites in one go. |
| PSLV-XL (Extended) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Launched Chandrayaan I. |
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