ISRO Faces Second Straight PSLV Failure, 16 Satellites Lost

PSLV-C62 Launch Hits Snag as ISRO Detects Third-Stage Deviation

ISRO’s 64th Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle mission, PSLV-C62, encountered an anomaly shortly after liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10:18 am on Monday. The rocket was carrying the EOS-N1 satellite along with 15 others.

ISRO confirmed that while the first and second stages of the four-stage launch vehicle performed as expected, engineers detected a deviation during the third stage of flight. The anomaly prevented the mission from following its planned trajectory.

ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan said the agency is analysing flight data and will share detailed findings at the earliest. He refrained from declaring the mission either a success or a failure.

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Chairman V Narayanan says ISRO mission failed to follow expected path, outcome yet to be declared

Third-Stage Issue Raises Concerns

According to ISRO, the initial phase of the launch proceeded normally. However, a trajectory deviation during the third stage disrupted the mission. Historically, problems in this phase often result in near-total mission failure.

Comeback Mission After 2025 Failure

PSLV-C62 marked a crucial comeback attempt for the launch vehicle after its only 2025 mission failed, also due to a third-stage issue. ISRO had formed a failure analysis committee following that incident, but its findings were never made public.

Despite the earlier setback, ISRO proceeded with PSLV-C62 as its first launch of 2026.

Satellites Onboard

The mission carried 16 satellites, including EOS-N1 and DRDO’s surveillance satellite Anvesha. ISRO planned to place EOS-N1 and 14 co-passenger satellites into a Sun Synchronous Orbit, while the Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID) satellite was meant to follow a re-entry trajectory.

Impact on ISRO and Private Players

If ISRO declares the mission a failure, it would become the fifth unsuccessful launch in PSLV’s 64-mission history. While the overall success rate remains strong, the outcome would still deal a blow to India’s space programme.

The impact would extend beyond ISRO. The mission included satellites from Brazil, Nepal and the UK. Indian startups are also affected, with Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space alone having seven satellites onboard.

The PSLV remains a backbone of India’s commercial space ambitions. India is also preparing to launch the first industry-built PSLV through a consortium led by HAL and Larsen & Toubro.

ISRO has yet to officially confirm the mission’s outcome. However, Dr Narayanan’s statement that the rocket failed to follow the expected path has raised concerns about whether PSLV-C62 met its objectives.

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