January 12
The PSLV-C62 mission experienced a disturbance in the third stage, resulting in a deviation from the intended flight path and leaving the satellite deployment status unconfirmed.
The PSLV-C62 rocket launched from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, carrying the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) Earth observation satellite and 14 co-passenger satellites.
Subsequently, ISRO reported an anomaly and stated that telemetry and flight data were being analyzed to determine the mission outcome.
ISRO chief V Narayanan stated that an unexpected disturbance in the rocket’s third stage caused PSLV-C62 to deviate from its intended trajectory. He confirmed that a comprehensive investigation into the mission is underway.
Due to the anomaly, ISRO has not yet confirmed whether EOS-N1 and the 14 co-passenger satellites achieved their designated polar sun-synchronous orbit. Telemetry data is currently being analyzed to ascertain the status of the spacecraft and payloads.
The PSLV-C62 mission was planned as India’s first space launch of 2026 and marked the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It followed the previous PSLV mission in 2025, which was aborted due to a technical issue. Consequently, the recent attempt was particularly significant for ISRO.
The mission plan initially involved deploying the Earth observation satellite, followed by 14 domestic and international co-passenger satellites arranged through NewSpace India Ltd, ISRO’s commercial division. Additionally, the mission included a scheduled in-orbit demonstration of a small re-entry capsule developed by a Spanish startup.
