PSLV-C3

PSLV-C3 was the third operational launch and overall sixth mission of the PSLV program. This launch was also the forty-sixth 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 Technology Experiment Satellite, BIRD and PROBA. This was India's and ISRO's second commercial spaceflight. PSLV-C3 was launched at 10:23 a.m. IST on 22 October 2001 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre .

Mission highlights

The mission involved placing Technology Experiment Satellite and Bispectral and Infrared Remote Detection in a 568 km circular orbit. It would then place the PRoject for On Board Autonomy satellite in an 568 km x 638 km elliptical orbit. This demonstrated ISRO capability to launch multiple satellites in multiple orbits. It also earned ISRO $1 million for each satellite.

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 + MON Engine:
* First stage: S139
* Second stage: Vikas
* Third stage:
* Fourth stage: 2 x PS-4Thrust:
* First stage: 4,430 + 677 x 6 kN
* Second stage: 724 kN
* Third stage: 324 kN
* Fourth stage: 7.4 x 2 kNAltitude: Maximum velocity: Duration: 1,658 seconds

Payload

PSLV-C3 carried and deployed total three satellites. Technology Experiment Satellite was the main payload and BIRD and PROBA were two auxiliary payloads that were mounted on PSLV-C3. In the flight sequence, TES was injected first, followed by BIRD and then PROBA.

Country

Name

Nos

Mass

Type

Objective

Launch and planned flight profile

PSLV-C3 was launched at 10:23 a.m. IST on 22 October 2001 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre . The mission was planned with pre-flight prediction of covering overall distance of. The total flight time was 1658 seconds as PROBA was to be launched into an elliptical orbit after TES and BIRD were launched into a circular orbit. The orbit raise was done using the yaw RCS thrusters in off-modulated mode.
Following was the planned flight profile.

Stage	Time	Altitude	Velocity	Event	Remarks
First stage	T+0	0.02	452	First stage ignition	Lift-off
First stage	T+1.24	0.02	452	Ignition of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+25.04	2.515	551	Ignition of 2 air-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+68.04	23.472	1,155	Separation of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+90.04	40.061	1,644	Separation of 2 air-lit strap-on motors
First stage	T+112.73	67.601	2,028	First stage separation
Second stage	T+112.93	67.828	2,027	Second stage ignition
Second stage	T+156.73	115.604	2,284	Heat shield separation
Second stage	T+278.81	236.272	4,099	Second stage separation
Third stage	T+280.01	237.433	4,097	Third stage ignition
Third stage	T+498.33	455.487	6,086	Third stage separation
Fourth stage	T+520.60	460.818	6,065	Fourth stage ignition
Fourth stage	T+914.92	571.247	7,575	Fourth stage thrust cut-off
Fourth stage	T+971.92	572.080	7,575	TES separation
Fourth stage	T+1,011.92	572.709	7,575	BIRD separation
Fourth stage	T+1,091.92	574.064	7,575	PROBA orbit raise start
Fourth stage	T+1,552.50	585.018	7,593	PROBA orbit raise stop
Fourth stage	T+1,602.50	586.688	7,592	PROBA orbit separation	Mission over

Fourth Stage Break-up event

The fourth stage of the PSLV had undergone a break-up event on 19 December 2001, likely caused by an explosion. After the explosion of PSLV-C3, ISRO carried out passivation of the upper stages of the PSLV, from the PSLV-C4 mission onwards. As per ISRO, this event generated 386 debris objects, of which 76 were in orbit in 2021,falling to 41 by 2025.