ISRO's PSLV-C62 Mission Hits a Snag, Analysis Underway

In a surprising turn of events, India's ISRO experienced a technical issue on Monday during the flight of its PSLV-C62 rocket, casting doubt on the successful deployment of its payload.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C62) launched from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, carrying the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) Earth observation satellite along with 14 other satellites. Shortly after liftoff, however, a disturbance in the rocket's third stage was detected, throwing the vehicle off its intended trajectory.

ISRO confirmed the anomaly, sharing that engineers are meticulously analyzing telemetry and flight data to pinpoint the cause of the issue and ascertain if the satellites achieved their designated orbit.

"We attempted the PSLV-C62 launch today. Data analysis is in progress, and we will provide updates soon," ISRO stated in a brief communication.

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan revealed that the third-stage disturbance resulted in a trajectory deviation and emphasized that a thorough technical examination is in motion to evaluate the implications of this anomaly on the mission and payload status.

At this point, ISRO has not clarified whether the EOS-N1 satellite and the 14 co-passenger satellites were successfully delivered to their predetermined polar sun-synchronous orbit. Engineers are diligently analyzing telemetry data from the launch vehicle to determine the status and position of the spacecraft.

The PSLV-C62 mission was anticipated as India's inaugural space launch of 2026 and represented the 64th flight of the reliable PSLV rocket. This mission is critical, especially following the cancellation of ISRO's previous PSLV launch in 2025 due to a technical concern during the countdown.

Besides the primary Earth observation satellite, the mission aimed to deploy 14 domestic and international co-passenger satellites coordinated through NewSpace India Limited, ISRO's commercial division. The mission also included an in-orbit demonstration of a small re-entry capsule designed by a Spanish startup.

ISRO has promised to divulge a detailed update once the comprehensive analysis of the anomaly and flight data is concluded.

The mission’s outcome is now the focus of national anticipation, as PSLV has consistently been the backbone of India's satellite launching capabilities, boasting a strong reliability record.