Head to head

PSLV vs Tsiklon-3

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

Tsiklon-3: 4,100 kg

Side by side

10 comparable figures

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

Metric	PSLV	Tsiklon-3
Flights flown	30	122
Success rate	93.3%	94.3%
Payload to LEO (kg)	3,800	4,100
Launch cost	$16M	$15M
Cost per kg to LEO	$4,211	$3,659
Liftoff thrust (kN)	4,847	2,713
Length (m)	44	39.27
Diameter (m)	2.8	3
Launch mass (t)	230	189
Stages	4	3

PSLV

Flight record

93.3% success rate28 of 30 flown · 2 failed

1993peak 2007 · 2 flights2024

Maiden flight 2007-04-23. Still flying.

Tsiklon-3

Flight record

94.3% success rate115 of 122 flown · 7 failed

1977peak 1985 · 12 flights2009

Maiden flight 1977-06-24. Retired.

PSLV is built by Indian Space Research Organization of India (company profile on Space Index).Tsiklon-3 is built by Yuzhnoye Design Bureau of Ukraine.

Full specifications and the complete launch history for each: PSLV · Tsiklon-3.

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