1993
PSLV: The workhorse rocket of India
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle has four stages and can wear 0, 2, 4 or 6 strap-on boosters, like a rocket that changes outfits for each job.
Space wow
In 2017 a single PSLV carried 104 satellites into space at once, a world record back then!
Quick quiz
How many satellites did PSLV launch in one go in 2017?
Options: 4 · 14 · 104
Answer: 104
Colour this mission
- PSLV-XL on the launch padPSLV is India’s workhorse rocket. The XL version wears six strap-on boosters.
- PSLV lifts off!Three, two, one… liftoff! The first stage and boosters give PSLV its mighty first push.
- PSLV-CA, the Core Alone rocketPSLV can fly with no boosters at all. That version is called Core Alone.
- Parts of a rocketA rocket is built in stages. Each stage burns its fuel, then drops away to make the rocket lighter.
- How a rocket reaches spaceLiftoff, the boosters drop away, then the nose cone opens and the satellite is set free.