PSLV-C2
1999 Indian space launch mission
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PSLV-C2 was the second operational launch and overall fifth mission of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) program. This launch was also the forty-third launch by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) since its first mission on 1 January 1962. The vehicle carried three satellites which were deployed in the Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit.[1][2][3][4][5] The vehicle carried India's first remote sensing satellite Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) as the main payload. It also carried South Korean satellite KITSAT-3 and German satellite DLR-Tubsat as auxiliary payloads.[1] 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 (equivalent to $1.93 million in 2025) to ISRO for launching their satellites.[5][6]
 Model of the PSLV launch vehicle | |
| Names | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Deployment of three satellites |
| Operator | ISRO |
| Website | ISRO website |
| Mission duration | 1117.5 seconds |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| Spacecraft type | Expendable launch vehicle |
| Manufacturer | Indian Space Research Organisation |
| Launch mass | 294,000 kg (648,000 lb) |
| Payload mass | 1,202 kg (2,650 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 May 1999, 06:22 UTC |
| Rocket | Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle |
| Launch site | Sriharikota Launching Range |
| Contractor | ISRO |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Sun-synchronous orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Payload | |
 Oceansat-1 KITSAT-3 DLR-Tubsat | |
Mission parameters
- Mass:
- Total liftoff weight: 294,000 kg (648,000 lb)
- Payload weight: 1,202 kg (2,650 lb)
- Overall height: 44.4 m (146 ft)
- Propellant:
- First stage: Solid HTPB based (138.0 + 54 tonnes)
- Second stage: Liquid UDMH + N2O4 (4.06 tonnes)
- Third stage: Solid HTPB based (7.2 tonnes)
- Fourth stage: Liquid MMH + N2O4 (2.0 tonnes)
- Engine:
- First stage: S139
- Second stage: Vikas
- Third stage:
- Fourth stage: 2 x PS-4
- Thrust:
- Altitude: 735.1 km (456.8 mi)
- Maximum velocity: 7,490 m/s (24,600 ft/s) (recorded at time of fourth stage ignition)
- Duration: 1117.5 seconds [1][7]
Payload
PSLV-C2 carried and deployed total three satellites. Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) 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.[1][8][9]
| Country | Name | No. | Mass | Type | Objective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 India | Oceansat-1 | 1 | 1050 kg | Indian Remote Sensing Satellite | Remote sensing |
 South Korea | KITSAT-3 | 1 | 107 kg | Microsatellite | Test and demonstrate new satellite bus & its payloads |
 Germany | DLR-Tubsat | 1 | 45 kg | Microsatellite | Test newly developed attitude control system |
Launch and planned flight profile
PSLV-C2 was launched at 06:22 UTC on 26 May 1999 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (then called "Sriharikota Launching Range"). The mission was planned with pre-flight prediction of perigee and apogee of 727 km (452 mi). The actual perigee was 723.1 km, apogee was 735.1 km. Following was the planned flight profile.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
| Stage | Time (seconds) | Altitude (kilometer) | Velocity (meter/sec) | Event | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First stage | T+0 | 0.02 | 450 | First stage ignition | Lift-off |
| T+1.2 | 0.02 | 450 | Ignition of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+25.1 | 2.43 | 540 | Ignition of 2 air-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+68.1 | 23.10 | 1,100 | Separation of 4 ground-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+90.1 | 40.21 | 1,520 | Separation of 2 air-lit strap-on motors | ||
| T+117.7 | 72.08 | 1,970 | First stage separation | ||
| Second stage | T+117.9 | 72.38 | 1,970 | Second stage ignition | |
| T+162.7 | 120.71 | 2,210 | Heat shield separation | ||
| T+167.7 | 126.60 | 2,260 | Closed-loop guidance initiation | ||
| T+284.5 | 254.03 | 4,070 | Second stage separation | ||
| Third stage | T+285.7 | 255.46 | 4,060 | Third stage ignition | |
| T+506.4 | 533.57 | 5,970 | Third stage separation | ||
| Fourth stage | T+584.4 | 605.44 | 5,870 | Fourth stage ignition | |
| T+991.7 | 728.25 | 7,490 | Fourth stage thrust cut-off | ||
| T+1017.5 | 728.66 | 7,490 | Oceansat-1 (IRS-P4) separation | ||
| T+1067.5 | 729.51 | 7,490 | KITSAT-3 separation | ||
| T+1117.5 | 730.41 | 7,490 | DLR-Tubsat separation | ||
The launch was witnessed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee (then Prime Minister of India), Murli Manohar Joshi, Vasundhara Raje and N. Chandrababu Naidu.[6]
