// INDIA LAUNCHES THE WORLD

LAUNCH
SERVICES

34 countries. 431 foreign satellites. One rocket. India didn't just build a space programme — it built the world's most affordable launch service.

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Foreign satellites launched by PSLV
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Countries that have used ISRO launch services
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consecutive successes
PSLV success streak (as of 2024)
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Satellites launched in a single PSLV mission (world record)
// THE FLEET
LAUNCH VEHICLES
Vehicle Class Payload to LEO Payload to GTO Commercial Use Status
PSLV
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
 Medium-lift 3,800 kg 1,678 kg Primary commercial workhorse — most launches for foreign customers ✅ Operational
LVM3
Launch Vehicle Mark 3
 Heavy-lift 10,000 kg 4,000 kg Commercial GEO commsats, OneWeb megaconstellation launches ✅ Operational
SSLV
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle
 Small-lift 500 kg 300 kg (SSO) On-demand small sat launches — 72-hour assembly, low cost ✅ Operational
GSLV Mk II
Geosynchronous SLV
 Medium-lift 5,000 kg 2,500 kg India's GSAT communication satellites ✅ Operational
NGLV
Next Generation Launch Vehicle
 Super heavy-lift 30,000 kg 10,000 kg Future heavy-lift for Gaganyaan, BAS, commercial mega-missions 🔧 In development
// LANDMARK MISSIONS
NOTABLE COMMERCIAL LAUNCHES
Mission Year Vehicle Customer / Payload Significance
PSLV-C37 2017 PSLV-XL 104 satellites — USA, Israel, UAE, Netherlands, Switzerland, Kazakhstan World record: most satellites in a single launch, held for 4 years
LVM3-M1 OneWeb 2022 LVM3 36 OneWeb LEO internet sats (UK/India consortium) First commercial mission for LVM3; India's entry into megaconstellation launches
LVM3-M2 OneWeb 2023 LVM3 36 OneWeb sats — completed India's OneWeb contract Back-to-back heavy commercial launches established LVM3 reliability
PSLV-C11 Chandrayaan-1 2008 PSLV-XL India + ESA + NASA instruments International science payload collaboration; discovered water on Moon
PSLV-C25 MOM 2013 PSLV-XL Mangalyaan — India's Mars Orbiter First Asian Mars mission, cheapest ever; PSLV carried it beyond Earth–Moon system
PSLV-C54 OCEANSAT-3 2022 PSLV OCEANSAT-3 + 8 foreign co-passengers Rideshare model — India's primary satellite + paid foreign co-passengers on same rocket
GSLV-F12 NVS-01 2023 GSLV Mk II NavIC NVS-01 navigation satellite Navigation sovereignty mission — replaced ageing IRNSS-1G with upgraded NavIC
// GLOBAL CUSTOMERS
34 COUNTRIES TRUST ISRO

PSLV has carried commercial payloads for customers across six continents. The number next to each flag is the approximate count of satellites launched for that country.

USA
USA
100+
UK
UK
80+
Singapore
Singapore
20+
Germany
Germany
15+
Canada
Canada
15+
France
France
12+
Japan
Japan
10+
Netherlands
Netherlands
10+
Israel
Israel
8+
UAE
UAE
6+
Switzerland
Switzerland
5+
Austria
Austria
4+
Australia
Australia
4+
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
3+
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
3+
Norway
Norway
2+
Belgium
Belgium
2+
Indonesia
Indonesia
2+
Malaysia
Malaysia
2+
Denmark
Denmark
2+
Italy
Italy
2+
Finland
Finland
2+
Czech Rep.
Czech Rep.
1+
Lithuania
Lithuania
1+
Slovakia
Slovakia
1+
Argentina
Argentina
1+
Brazil
Brazil
1+
South Africa
South Africa
1+
South Korea
South Korea
1+
Chile
Chile
1+
Ghana
Ghana
1+
Laos
Laos
1+
Colombia
Colombia
1+
Mongolia
Mongolia
1+
// COMMERCIAL MILESTONES
LAUNCH HISTORY
1999
First commercial payload — Kitsat-3 (South Korea)
PSLV-C2 carried South Korea's Kitsat-3 and Germany's DLR-TUBSAT as co-passengers alongside India's OceanSat-1. ISRO's commercial launch era begins.
2008
PSLV-C9 — 10 satellites in one shot
PSLV launched India's CartoSat-2A alongside 8 international nano-satellites. The first major rideshare demonstration that put PSLV on the world commercial map.
2014
Antrix-Devas deal collapses — Antrix restructured
The Antrix Corporation controversy led to ISRO restructuring its commercial arm. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was established in 2019 as a more transparent commercial entity.
2017
PSLV-C37 — 104 satellites. One rocket. World record.
In a single launch, PSLV deployed 101 international co-passengers alongside 3 Indian satellites. Satellites from 6 countries. The record stood for 4 years. India charged less per kilogram than any competitor.
2019
NSIL established — commercial launch fully privatised
NewSpace India Limited created as a government company under Department of Space to handle all commercial launches, technology transfers, and satellite leasing. Separates ISRO's research mission from commercial operations.
2022
LVM3 goes commercial — OneWeb constellation
LVM3's first commercial flight carries 36 OneWeb satellites in a single launch — India's entry into the heavy-lift commercial megaconstellation market, competing directly with SpaceX Falcon 9 and Arianespace.
// THE COMMERCIAL ARM
NEWSPACE INDIA
About NSIL
NEWSPACE INDIA LIMITED
Established in 2019 under the Department of Space, NSIL is India's commercial space company — handling launch services, satellite manufacturing contracts, and technology transfer to private industry. NSIL is the interface between ISRO's capabilities and global commercial demand.

Unlike ISRO (which is a research agency), NSIL operates as a profit-generating entity — its revenues fund future ISRO missions.
IN SPACE — Enabling Private Sector
INDIA'S SPACE REVOLUTION
The Indian Space Policy 2023 opened ISRO's launch infrastructure to private companies. IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) authorises private launches from ISRO facilities.

Agnikul Cosmos, Skyroot Aerospace, and Pixxel are among India's first private space companies. Skyroot's Vikram-S became India's first privately built rocket in 2022. The next decade of ISRO commercial growth will be private-led, with NSIL and IN-SPACe as enablers.
// The price of access
PSLV launches at approximately $5,000 per kilogram to LEO — SpaceX Falcon 9 costs $2,700, but PSLV was the affordable option for a decade before Falcon 9 existed. India didn't just build a rocket. It built an affordable access corridor to space that small countries, universities, and startups couldn't otherwise afford. That's what 431 foreign satellites actually mean.