PSLV - C20

India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its twenty third flight (PSLV - C20), launches the Indo-French satellite SARAL along with six commercial payloads from Canada, Austria, Denmark and UK into a 785 km polar sun synchronous orbit inclined at an angle of 98.538 deg to the equator. PSLV - C20 was launched on Feb 25, 2013 from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. With a lift-off mass of 407 kg, SARAL is the 56th satellite to be launched by PSLV. The six payloads from abroad together have a lift-off mass of 259.5 kg. PSLV - C20 is the ninth flight of PSLV in 'Core-Alone' configuration (without solid strap-on motors). PSLV- C20 Stages at a Glance   STAGE-1 STAGE-2 STAGE-3 STAGE-4 Nomenclature PS1 PS2 PS3 PS4 Propellant Solid (HTPB Based) Liquid (UH25 + N2O4) Solid (HTPB Based) Liquid (MMH + MON-3) Mass (Tonne) 138.0 41.0 7.6 2.5 Max Thrust (kN) 4787 804 242 7.3 X 2 Burn Time (sec) 102 148 110 526 Stage Dia (m) 2.8 2.8 2.0 2.8 Stage Length  (m) 20 12.8 3.6 2.6 Control SITVC for Pitch & Yaw, Reaction Control Thrusters for Roll Control Engine Gimbal for Pitch & Yaw, Hot Gas Reaction Control Motor for Roll Control Flex Nozzle for Pitch & Yaw, PS4 Reaction Control System (RCS) for Roll Control Engine Gimbal for Pitch, Yaw & Roll, on-off RCS for Coast Phase Control HTPB : Hydroxyl Terminated Poly Butadine UH 25 : Unsymmetrical di-methyl hydrazine + 25% Hydrazine Hydrate MMH : Mono Methyl Hydrazine MON-3 : Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen SITVC : Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control