PSLV-C20/SARAL Home / Activities / Missions accomplished


Feb 25, 2013

India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its twenty third flight (PSLV-C20), launches the Indo-French satellite SARAL along with six commercial payloads from Canada, Austria, Denmark and UK into a 785 km polar sun synchronous orbit inclined at an angle of 98.538 deg to the equator. PSLV-C20 was launched on Feb 25, 2013 from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota.

With a lift-off mass of 407 kg, SARAL is the 56th satellite launched by PSLV. The six payloads from abroad together have a lift-off mass of 259.5 kg. PSLV-C20 is the ninth flight of PSLV in 'Core-Alone' configuration (without solid strap-on motors).

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PSLV- C20 Stages at a Glance
STAGE-1 STAGE-2 STAGE-3 STAGE-4
Nomenclature PS1 PS2 PS3 PS4
Propellant Solid
(HTPB Based)
Liquid
(UH25 + N2O4)
Solid
(HTPB Based)
Liquid
(MMH + MON-3)
Mass (Tonne) 138.0 41.0 7.6 2.5
Max Thrust (kN) 4787 804 242 7.3 X 2
Burn Time (sec) 102 148 110 526
Stage Dia (m) 2.8 2.8 2.0 2.8
Stage Length  (m) 20 12.8 3.6 2.6
Control SITVC for Pitch & Yaw, Reaction Control Thrusters for Roll Control Engine Gimbal for Pitch & Yaw, Hot Gas Reaction Control Motor for Roll Control Flex Nozzle for Pitch & Yaw, PS4 Reaction Control System (RCS) for Roll Control Engine Gimbal for Pitch, Yaw & Roll, on-off RCS for Coast Phase Control

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