Question map
With reference to India's satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements : 1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites. 2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth. 3. GSLV Mk III is a four-staged 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 ?
Explanation
The correct answer is **option A (1 only)**.
**Statement 1 is correct**: The PSLV has become the workhorse launch vehicle, placing both remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit[1], while GSLV Mk III is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO[2] primarily designed for heavier communication satellites in geostationary orbits. PSLVs are indeed used for Earth resources monitoring satellites.
**Statement 2 is incorrect**: Satellites launched by PSLV do not remain permanently fixed in the sky. Most orbit about 800 km above Earth's surface and take roughly 100 minutes to complete one orbit[3]. Only geostationary satellites (typically launched by GSLV) appear fixed from Earth, not those in the lower orbits where PSLV places most satellites.
**Statement 3 is incorrect**: GSLV Mk III is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO. The vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage[2]. It is a three-stage vehicle, not four-stage as stated.
Sources- [1] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Phase IV: 1990β2000 > p. 55
- [3] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 11: Keeping Time with the Skies > 11.4 Why Do We Launch Artificial Satellites in Space? > p. 185
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'Comparative Technology' question. It blends static textbook definitions (Statement 1 & 2) with technical specifications of a flagship vehicle (Statement 3). If you mastered the basic definitions of 'Polar' vs 'Geostationary' orbits in NCERT Geography, you could crack this without knowing the complex engineering of GSLV Mk III.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is India's PSLV used to launch satellites for Earth resources monitoring (Earth observation satellites)?
- Statement 2: Is India's GSLV designed mainly to launch communication satellites?
- Statement 3: Do satellites launched by India's PSLV remain fixed in the same position in the sky as viewed from a particular location on Earth (i.e., are they placed into geostationary orbit)?
- Statement 4: What is the number of stages of India's GSLV Mk III (LVM3) and which type of propulsion (solid, liquid, cryogenic) does each stage use?
- Explicitly states PSLV became the 'workhorse' launch vehicle placing remote sensing (Earth observation) and communications satellites into orbit.
- Links PSLV launches to providing data useful to industry and agriculture, implying Earth-resources monitoring missions.
- Lists specific PSLV missions (e.g., PSLV-C16, PSLV-C18) that launched RESOURCESAT/RESOURCESAT-2 β named Earth-resources/remote sensing satellites.
- Shows recurring use of PSLV for multiple resource/remote sensing satellite launches across years.
- Records PSLV-C15 successfully launching CARTOSAT-2B (an Earth-imaging/mapping satellite), indicating PSLV usage for Earth observation payloads.
- Provides additional mission-level evidence of PSLV deploying satellites used for mapping and resource monitoring.
- Explicitly records a GSLV flight (GSLV-F06) tied to GSAT-5P, a named GSAT communication satellite.
- Implies GSLV is used for launching communication satellites in ISRO operational history.
- Describes GSLV-D3 carrying GSAT-4 (a GSAT communication satellite) and failing due to the cryogenic stage.
- Shows GSLV missions have been assigned to GSAT-class communication payloads, indicating design intent/use.
- States India began designing an independent launch vehicle while anticipating remoteβsensing and communication needs.
- Provides contextual support that Indian launch vehicles were developed with communication-satellite missions in mind.
- Explicitly states artificial satellites orbit Earth and 'appear as tiny specks moving in the night sky', indicating they are not fixed.
- Gives typical LEO parameters (about 800 km altitude and ~100 minute orbital period), which are incompatible with remaining fixed over one ground location.
- Identifies PSLV as the 'Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle', implying it launches satellites into polar/low Earth orbits rather than geostationary orbit.
- Mentions PSLV-launched satellites used for remote sensing, a use that commonly requires non-geostationary (polar/LEO) orbits.
- States PSLV 'has become the workhorse launch vehicle, placing both remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit', reinforcing its role in deploying non-geostationary payloads.
- Emphasises frequent PSLV use for Earth-observation satellites which typically move relative to a ground observer.
- Directly states the number of stages (three).
- Specifies the three stage types: two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster, and a cryogenic upper stage.
- Confirms the core (middle) stage is a liquid stage (L110) using Vikas engines.
- Supports classification of the second stage as liquid-propelled.
- Identifies the uppermost (third) stage as a cryogenic stage using LOX+LH2 (hydrolox).
- Complements the other passages to specify propulsion type of the top stage.
Mentions failure of the Indigenous Cryogenic Stage in a GSLV flight, indicating that GSLV designs include a distinct cryogenic stage as one of their stages.
A student can infer that at least one upper stage of GSLV-series vehicles is cryogenic and seek whether Mk III follows the same pattern of having a dedicated cryogenic upper stage.
Lists production of solid, liquid and cryogenic propellants as major areas for space investments, implying Indian launch vehicles use multiple propellant types across stages.
Use this rule (Indian rockets use combinations of solid, liquid, cryogenic) to posit that LVM3 likely uses more than one propulsion type across its stages and then check which stage is which.
Explains that early sounding rockets used two-stage solid propellant motors, showing a common historical use of solid stages in Indian launch history.
Extend this pattern to expect that some Indian larger launchers also employ solid strap-ons or solid first stages, making solid propulsion a candidate for one or more LVM3 stages.
Describes the GSLV developmental flights and names the vehicle type (GSLV), reinforcing that the GSLV family has had multiple configurations and developmental iterations with different stages.
A student can use the existence of multiple GSLV versions to consider that Mk III (LVM3) might follow the multi-stage GSLV pattern (separate core and upper stages) and compare configurations.
Notes the first development flight of the GSLV in 2001, supporting the idea that GSLV is a multi-stage launch vehicle developed over time (hence likely composed of distinct stage types).
Combine this historical development clue with the known use of cryogenic stages (from snippet 1) to surmise that later variants like Mk III may retain a multi-stage approach with varied propulsion.
- [THE VERDICT]: Manageable. Statements 1 & 2 are standard NCERT Geography/Science. Statement 3 is a technical fact check on ISRO's flagship rocket.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Space Technology > Launch Vehicles > Evolution from SLV to GSLV Mk III (LVM3).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Stage & Fuel' matrix: 1. PSLV: 4 Stages (Solid-Liquid-Solid-Liquid). 2. GSLV Mk II: 3 Stages (Solid-Liquid-Cryogenic). 3. LVM3 (GSLV Mk III): 3 Stages (2 Solid Strap-ons, Liquid Core, Cryogenic Upper). 4. SSLV: 3 Solid Stages + Liquid VTM.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Never read about a launch vehicle in isolation. Always create a comparison table: Payload Capacity (LEO vs GTO), Number of Stages, and Engine Types (Vikas vs Cryogenic). UPSC tests the *difference* between generations.
References explicitly describe PSLV as the vehicle that places remote sensing and communications satellites into orbit.
High-yield for UPSC questions on India's space capabilities β knowing PSLV's central role explains mission patterns (civil, commercial, EO). It links to topics on technological self-reliance, space economy and applications in agriculture/industry, and helps answer questions on launch vehicle roles and payload types.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Phase IV: 1990β2000 > p. 55
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 58
References name IRS/RESOURCESAT/CARTOSAT and describe their uses in mapping, resource management and disaster planning.
Understanding EO satellite types and applications is repeatedly useful in polity-economy-geography contexts (natural resource management, disaster response, remote sensing policy). This concept connects space tech to practical governance questions and national development examples.
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > Satellite Communication > p. 84
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 11: Keeping Time with the Skies > Our scientific heritage > p. 185
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 58
References record the progression from SLV/ASLV to PSLV and mention GSLV, showing the development trajectory of India's launch capabilities.
Chronology and roles of launch vehicles are commonly asked in prelims and useful in mains answers on technological advancement and strategic capability. Mastery helps frame narratives about indigenous capacity-building and changing mission priorities.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 56
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Phase IV: 1990β2000 > p. 55
Multiple references reference GSAT satellites being payloads in ISRO launches, linking the GSAT series to communication purposes.
High-yield for UPSC: recognizing GSAT/INSAT as Indiaβs communication satellite families helps answer questions on satellite purposes, launch history, and launcher-payload matching. Connects to topics on remote sensing vs communication satellites and international launch collaborations.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 57
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 58
Evidence shows GSLV flights (e.g., GSLV-F06, GSLV-D3) were used for GSAT missions, indicating the launcherβs intended role.
Important for linking specific launch vehicles to satellite types in exam questions (PSLV vs GSLV roles). Helps answer questions on launcher capabilities, mission profiles, and policy decisions about indigenous launch capability.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 57
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 58
A GSLV mission failure is explicitly attributed to flight-testing of the indigenous cryogenic stage, highlighting its technical importance.
Useful for technical-policy questions: explains why cryogenic stage development matters for placing heavier geostationary/communication satellites. Connects to discussions on indigenous technology, launch vehicle evolution, and mission success factors.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Major Events > p. 58
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 12: Transport, Communications and Trade > Phase II: 1970β80 > p. 55
PSLV is named a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and is linked in the references to Earth-observation launches β contrasting with geostationary orbit which keeps satellites fixed over one longitude.
High-yield for UPSC geography/space questions: distinguishes satellite roles (remote sensing vs continuous fixed-area communications). Helps answer questions on orbit selection, satellite utility, and launch vehicle purpose. Study by comparing orbit inclinations, purposes, and examples.
- INDIA PEOPLE AND ECONOMY, TEXTBOOK IN GEOGRAPHY FOR CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Transport and Communication > Satellite Communication > p. 84
- Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 11: Keeping Time with the Skies > 11.4 Why Do We Launch Artificial Satellites in Space? > p. 185
The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is the next logical target. Unlike PSLV/GSLV, SSLV is a 3-stage all-solid vehicle with a liquid Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) at the terminal stage. Also, watch out for the 'Scramjet' engine (air-breathing propulsion) which uses atmospheric oxygen.
Apply the 'Name-Function Contradiction' hack. Statement 2 claims satellites launched by *Polar* Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) remain 'permanently fixed'. 'Fixed' implies a Geostationary orbit (equatorial). A 'Polar' orbit moves North-South while Earth spins West-East; it is physically impossible for a polar satellite to appear fixed. Eliminate Statement 2 β Options (B) and (C) are gone. You are left with (A) or (D). Since Statement 1 is a basic definition found in all books, (A) is the safe winner.
Link GSLV capabilities to International Relations (Mains GS-2). A functional GSLV Mk III ends India's dependence on French Ariane rockets for heavy communication satellites, directly boosting 'Strategic Autonomy' and saving foreign exchange.