With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements:
- PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.
- Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
- GSLV Mk III is a four-stage launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors, and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 1 — 1 only
Simple Explanation:
This question tests the basic difference between PSLV and GSLV launch vehicles.
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: PSLV is mainly used to launch Earth observation/remotely sensed satellites into Polar or Sun-Synchronous Orbits, while GSLV is designed to launch heavy communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Satellites launched by PSLV do not remain fixed over one point on Earth. They move in Polar/Sun-Synchronous Orbits. Only geostationary satellites appear stationary in the sky.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: GSLV Mk III (LVM3) is a three-stage launch vehicle, not a four-stage vehicle. It consists of two solid strap-on boosters, one liquid core stage, and one cryogenic upper stage.
📝 Short Notes: PSLV & GSLV
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PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is mainly used for Earth observation and Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) missions.
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GSLV is designed to place communication satellites into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
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LVM3 (formerly GSLV Mk III) is a three-stage heavy-lift launch vehicle with a cryogenic upper stage.
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Cryogenic engines use liquid hydrogen (LH₂) and liquid oxygen (LOX) for high efficiency.
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PSLV is known as ISRO's "workhorse launcher" due to its high reliability.
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LVM3 successfully launched Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and the OneWeb satellite missions.
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Geostationary satellites remain fixed relative to Earth, while Polar satellites continuously move over different regions.
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