India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launched India's Remote Sensing Satellite Resourcesat-2

India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on 20 April 2011 launched India's remote sensing satellite Resourcesat-2 from the spaceport of Sriharikota. India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle- C16 placed on a 822-km sunsynchronous orbit three satellites – ResourceSat – 2, an Indo-Russian YouthSat and mini satellite X Sat from Nangyang Technological University of Singapore. The launch by PSLV-C16 demonstrated India's commercial launch capabilities in the multi-billion dollar global market in the sector.

PSLV since 1994 designed and developed by ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, has launched a total of 44 satellites, including 25 from abroad. After the failure of PSLV-D1 launched on 20 September 1993, PSLV never looked back and went on to create an impressive track record of 16 uninterrupted successes. PSLV had 18 launches so far and only the first launch of September 1993 had been unsuccessful.

The satellite launched by PSLV-C16 weighs 1206 kg and will collect data including those on ground water and mineral resources on land and fish density in the sea. Resourcesat-2 is equipped with three cameras that can cover 740 km wide, 141 km wide and 17 km wide at resolutions ranging from 22 metres to 5 metres. The high resolution cameras can take both black & white and colour pictures. It can take images of land as wide as 70 km. The images taken by Resourcesat-2 weighing 1206 kg can be used for locating ground water or minerals, estimate crop acreage, find out the health of the crops, identify rich fishing zones in the sea, categorise wastelands that can help in their reclamation, map coastal zones, keep a watch on water-bodies such as reservoirs, lakes and canals, and so on. Resourcesat-2 has an additional payload called Automatic Identification System from Canada which can provide information on the position of ships, their speed etc. The satellite has a mission life of five years. The satellite will replace ResourceSat I which is in orbit since 2003.

The 92-kg Youthsat has three payloads — one from Russia and two from the ISRO. The payloads can be used to study the ionosphere, solar X-ray fluxes and their effect on the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere.

The 106-kg X-Sat is a remote-sensing satellite and can take images of the earth, process them and transmit more refined images to the ground.

Among the key launches undertaken by the PSLV are India's maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-I in October 2008, four Cartosats and Resourcesat-1.

A standard PSLV version is 44 metres tall with a lift off weight of 295 tonne and is designed to launch 1600 kg satellites in 620 km sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite into geo-synchronous transfer orbit. In the current flight, the standard version, with six solid strap-on booster motors strung around the first stage, is used. As per this configuration the four-stage PSLV weighs 295 tonnes and is 44 metres tall. However in the core-alone version, the vehicle has no strap-on motors. The core-alone PSLV is used to put lighter satellites in orbit.

PSLV with its different configurations has proved its multi-payload, multi-mission capability in a single launch and its geosynchronous launch capability. PSLV has become more versatile vehicle for launching multiple satellites in polar SSOs, Low Earth Orbits and geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch vehicle has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternately.