PSLV — India's Workhorse Rocket

On October 15, 1994, after an initial failure in 1993, ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully completed its second flight, placing a satellite into polar orbit. The PSLV would go on to become one of the most reliable launch vehicles in history, with over 55 consecutive successful missions by the 2020s. Its versatility and low cost made it popular with foreign space agencies: the PSLV launched satellites for countries including France, Germany, the UK, Canada, Japan, and the United States. In a single record-breaking mission in February 2017, the PSLV launched 104 satellites simultaneously — a world record at the time. The rocket also launched India's two most celebrated missions: Chandrayaan-1 to the Moon and Mangalyaan to Mars. The PSLV became the backbone of India's space program and proof that reliable space access didn't require a NASA-sized budget.