PSLV-C2

PSLV-C2 was the second operational launch and overall fifth mission of the Polar Satellite [Launch Vehicle] program. This launch was also the forty-third launch by Indian Space Research Organisation since its first mission on 1 January 1962. The vehicle carried three satellites which were deployed in the Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit. The vehicle carried India's first remote sensing satellite Oceansat-1 as the main payload. It also carried South Korean satellite KITSAT-3 and German satellite DLR-Tubsat as auxiliary payloads. PSLV-C2 was the first Indian Expendable launch vehicle to carry and deploy more than one satellite in a mission. This was also India's and ISRO's first commercial spaceflight where South Korea and Germany each paid US$1.0 million to ISRO for launching their satellites.

Mission parameters

Mass:

* Total liftoff weight:
* Payload weight: Overall height: Propellant:
* First stage: Solid HTPB based
* Second stage: Liquid UDMH +
* Third stage: Solid HTPB based
* Fourth stage: Liquid MMH + Engine:
* First stage: S139
* Second stage: Vikas
* Third stage:
* Fourth stage: 2 x PS-4Thrust:
* First stage: 4628 + 662 x 6 kN
* Second stage: 725 kN
* Third stage: 340 kN
* Fourth stage: 7.2 x 2 kNAltitude: Maximum velocity: Duration: 1117.5 seconds

Payload

PSLV-C2 carried and deployed total three satellites. Oceansat-1 was the main payload and KITSAT-3 and DLR-Tubsat were two auxiliary payloads that were mounted on PSLV-C2 equipment bay diametrically opposite to each other. Oceansat-1, was mounted on top of the equipment bay. In the flight sequence, IRS-P4 was injected first, followed by KITSAT-3 and then DLR-Tubsat.

Country

Name

No.

Mass

Type

Objective

Launch and planned flight profile

PSLV-C2 was launched at 06:22 UTC on 26 May 1999 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The mission was planned with pre-flight prediction of perigee and apogee of. The actual perigee was 723.1 km, apogee was 735.1 km. Following was the planned flight profile.

Stage	Time	Altitude	Velocity	Event	Remarks
First stage	T+0	0.02	450	First stage ignition	Lift-off
First stage	T+1.2	0.02	450	Ignition of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+25.1	2.43	540	Ignition of 2 air-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+68.1	23.10	1,100	Separation of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+90.1	40.21	1,520	Separation of 2 air-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+117.7	72.08	1,970	First stage separation
Second stage	T+117.9	72.38	1,970	Second stage ignition
Second stage	T+162.7	120.71	2,210	Heat shield separation
Second stage	T+167.7	126.60	2,260	Closed-loop guidance initiation
Second stage	T+284.5	254.03	4,070	Second stage separation
Third stage	T+285.7	255.46	4,060	Third stage ignition
Third stage	T+506.4	533.57	5,970	Third stage separation
Fourth stage	T+584.4	605.44	5,870	Fourth stage ignition
Fourth stage	T+991.7	728.25	7,490	Fourth stage thrust cut-off
Fourth stage	T+1017.5	728.66	7,490	Oceansat-1 separation
Fourth stage	T+1067.5	729.51	7,490	KITSAT-3 separation
Fourth stage	T+1117.5	730.41	7,490	DLR-Tubsat separation

The launch was witnessed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Murli Manohar Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and N. Chandrababu Naidu.