The Journey of PSLV Series From D1 to C50/CMS-01  – The Proud Story of Success 

The author was part of the first launch of this series from SHAR which took place on 20th September 1993.

The journey from Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (ISRO) at Trivandrum prior launch to the island where the launching station is placed was exciting and memorable, as he recollects.

Sriharikota,(SHAR) has many unique features that make it India’s spaceport, one of the best spaceports in the world, after Kourou, French Guiana.

1. Located near the sea, to prevent any incident on landmass or population
2. It’s an island with 44,000 acres of land, 55 km of seacoast, miles apart from any major city habitation.
3. Its location on the east coast helps to gain additional velocity in eastward launches, due to the earth’s rotation
4. It can accommodate both equatorial and polar launches from the same place.
5. Its nearness to the equator makes it the second most ideal location for rocket launches.

The launch campaign for PSLV-D1 took 115 days as opposed to the expected 90 days. This delay was okay being the first attempt. Finally, the countdown for the PSLV-D1 mission commenced on 16th September 1993. A minor snag on the launch day, 19th September, pushed the launch to the next day 20th September. Overall, the countdown performing for the first time was satisfactory.

The PSLV-D1 lifted off majestically on 20th September 1993 through thunderous applause. The strap-on boosters, first stage and second stage, performed apparently. Though the mission control room was anxious for the stage separation events, they also went quite satisfactorily. As watched, immediately after the ignition of the third stage, though control force was available, the pitch error went beyond limits, and the vehicle started tumbling. The result was a mission failure, even though the third and fourth stage propulsion system performed normally.

The author remembers Prof U.R. Rao, the then chairman of ISRO weeping after the launch was declared a failure. 

The next flight in the series PSLV-D2 performed flawlessly. From then on each of the launches was successful till the latest PSLV-C50/CMS-01 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, and that is the precision of which any nation could be proud of.

Courtesy:aerospacenerd