Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle

The ASLV was a five-stage vehicle. Two strap-on boosters acted as a first stage, with the core stage igniting after booster burn out. The payload capacity of the ASLV was approximately {{cvt|150|kg}} to an orbit of {{cvt|400|km}} with a 47-degree inclination.

At liftoff, the ASLV generated {{cvt|92,780|kgf|kN lbf|order=out}} of thrust. It was a {{convert|41,000|kg|adj=on}} rocket, measuring {{convert|23.5|m}} in length with a core diameter of {{convert|1|m|spell=in}}. The height to diameter ratio of ASLV was very large which resulted in the vehicle being unstable in flight. This was compounded by the fact that many of the critical events during a launch like the core ignition and the booster separation happened at the Tropopause where the dynamic loads on the launcher was at the maximum.{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/160902/ur-rao-isro-aslv-unispace-cryogenic/|title=U.R. Rao, Former Chairman Who Helped ISRO Settle Down|last=Mukunth|first=Vasudevan|website=thewire.in|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}} The aerodynamic characterization research was conducted at the National Aerospace Laboratories' 1.2m Trisonic Wind Tunnel Facility.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-06 |title=Bengaluru: 1.2m trisonic wind tunnel at National Aerospace Laboratories completes 55 years of service |url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/bengaluru-12m-trisonic-wind-tunnel-at-national-aerospace-laboratories-completes-55-years-of-service20220606001500/ |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=ANI |language=en}}

The ASLV made four launches, of which one was successful, two failed to achieve orbit, and a third achieved a lower than planned orbit which decayed quickly. The type made its maiden flight on 24 March 1987, and its final flight on 4 May 1994.

All four ASLV launches occurred from the ASLV Launch Pad at the Sriharikota Range. For vertically integrated ASLV, many SLV-3 ground facilities were reused but a new launch pad with retractable Mobile Service Structure was constructed within the same launch complex.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c25-mars-orbiter-mission/fishing-hamlet-to-red-planet-download-e-book|title=From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet: India's Space Journey|last=Indian Space Research Organization|publisher=Harper Collins|year=2015|isbn=9789351776901|location=India|pages=328, 329|language=en|chapter=4.1 The Spaceport of ISRO - K. Narayana|quote=While most of the facilities realised for SLV-3 was utilised for ASLV, a new launch pad was built in the same complex.This was because, unlike SLV-3, the ASLV had strap-ons and was vertically integrated.|access-date=2018-02-09|archive-date=2022-03-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308184429/https://www.isro.gov.in/pslv-c25-mars-orbiter-mission/fishing-hamlet-to-red-planet-download-e-book|url-status=dead}}

== Launch statistics ==

{{ #invoke:Chart | bar chart

| float = center

| width = 500

| height = 300

| stack = 1

| group 1 = 1:1:0:0:0:0:0:0

| group 2 = 0:0:0:0:0:1:0:0

| group 3 = 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1

| colors = FireBrick : Orange: ForestGreen

| group names = Failure : Partial failure : Success

| units suffix = _launches

| x legends = 1987 ::: 1990 :::: 1994

}}

;Decade-wise summary of ASLV launches:

{{Portal|India|Rocketry|Spaceflight}}

• Comparison of orbital launchers families

{{reflist}}

{{Expendable launch systems}}

{{Indian space programme}}

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2014}}

Category:Space programme of India

Category:Satish Dhawan Space Centre

Category:ISRO space launch vehicles

Category:Expendable space launch systems

Category:Vehicles introduced in 1987