Head to head

PSLV vs Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M

Two vehicles in the same payload class. Every figure below comes from the same two sources for both rockets, and a row appears only when both publish the input.

Payload to low Earth orbit

Relative

PSLV: 3,800 kg

Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M: 8,200 kg

Side by side

11 comparable figures

The highlighted value wins the row. Rows where neither direction is better, like length or stage count, highlight nothing.

Metric	PSLV	Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M
Flights flown	30	36
Success rate	93.3%	100%
Payload to LEO (kg)	3,800	8,200
Payload to GTO (kg)	1,200	3,250
Launch cost	$16M	$48.5M
Cost per kg to LEO	$4,211	$5,915
Liftoff thrust (kN)	4,847	4,150
Length (m)	44	46.3
Diameter (m)	2.8	10.3
Launch mass (t)	230	313
Stages	4	4

PSLV

Flight record

93.3% success rate28 of 30 flown · 2 failed

1993peak 2007 · 2 flights2024

Maiden flight 2007-04-23. Still flying.

Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M

Flight record

100% success rate36 of 36 flown

2017peak 2021 · 8 flights2026

Maiden flight 2008-07-26. Still flying.

PSLV is built by Indian Space Research Organization of India (company profile on Space Index).Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M is built by Progress Rocket Space Center of Russia (company profile on Space Index).

Full specifications and the complete launch history for each: PSLV · Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M.

Specifications from Launch Library 2 by The Space Devs, launch records from Space Index. Derived figures are computed here; see sources and method.