India’s space agency ISRO faced a major setback on Monday when its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C62, experienced a critical anomaly during the third stage of flight, leaving the status of all 16 satellites on board uncertain.
The 44.4-metre PSLV lifted off at 10:18 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, carrying the Earth observation satellite EOS-N1 (Anvesha) along with 15 co-passenger satellites from India and abroad. The mission aimed to place them into a 512-kilometre Sun-Synchronous Orbit after a planned 17-minute flight.
Trouble During Third Stage
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan explained that the rocket performed normally through the first two stages, but near the end of the third stage — while strap-on motors were providing thrust — the vehicle experienced disturbances.
“The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle with two solid and two liquid stages. Performance was nominal until the end of the third stage. Close to its conclusion, we observed more disturbances and subsequently a deviation in the flight path,” Narayanan said at the Mission Control Centre.
This deviation prevented the rocket from following the precise trajectory required to inject the satellites into their intended orbit. About 30 minutes after liftoff, ISRO confirmed on X that the mission had “encountered an anomaly” during the end of the PS3 burn and a detailed analysis was underway.
Uncertain Fate of Satellites
At present, ISRO has not confirmed whether EOS-N1 and the 15 other satellites were successfully deployed. Telemetry and tracking data from ground stations are being analyzed to determine the fate of the spacecraft. Narayanan stated, “The mission could not proceed in the expected flight path. This is the information available right now.”
A Worrying Repeat
The incident is especially concerning as it follows a similar anomaly during the third stage of the previous PSLV flight in May 2025. PSLV, often called ISRO’s “workhorse,” has launched missions to the Moon, Mars, and satellites for multiple countries. While failures have historically been rare, consecutive setbacks now pose a challenge to the rocket’s reputation.
For now, ISRO is focusing on analyzing flight data to determine what went wrong and the status of the 16 satellites slated for orbit.