The Full form of PSLV is Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. PSLV is an expandable launch vehicle of India which is operated and developed by the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). It is the 3rd generation launch vehicle and also the 1st satellite launch vehicle of India which is equipped with liquid stages. PSLV was primarily developed to enable the country launch its IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) satellites into Sun-Synchronous orbits. It can also launch small size satellites into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
PSLV was used by India on 15 February 2017 to launch 104 small size satellites in polar orbit around the Earth. Till 2017, India has launched around 209 foreign satellites and 48 Indian satellites through PSLV. Furthermore, it is also used to launch two spacecrafts of India, i.e. Chandrayan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013. Later on, these spacecrafts travelled to the surface of Moon and Mars respectively. PSLV is also called “the Workhorse of ISRO”.
It has earned this title after launching various satellites consistently to Low Earth Orbits, i.e. Indian Remote Sensing series of satellites. It can carry a load up to 1,750 kg to Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbits of 600 km altitude. It is equipped with six solid rocket strap-on motors to boost the thrust in its PSLV-XL and PSLV-G variants in the 1st stage.