In a major setback for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the PSLV-C62 rocket failed to place 16 satellites into their intended orbits on Monday. This marks the second consecutive setback for the agency. The mission encountered a critical "anomaly" during the third stage (PS3) of the launch, resulting in the loss of several high-profile payloads.
Despite the overarching PSLV-C62 failure, Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm reported a remarkable success. Their Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID), a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle, managed to survive the chaotic descent.
The 'KID' survival: A silver lining for Orbital Paradigm
In a post on X, the company confirmed that KID survived peak heat and extreme gravity loads of approximately 28g. The satellite successfully separated from the PSLV-C62 and transmitted vital data for over three minutes. Orbital Paradigm noted that they have recorded internal temperature data and will soon release a full report on how the KID prototype successfully navigated the atmospheric re-entry despite the launch anomaly.
The PSLV-C62 Failure: What went wrong?
Confirming the incident via their official X (formerly Twitter) handle, ISRO stated: "The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of PS3 (third stage) of the vehicle. A detailed analysis has been initiated." While ISRO officials, including Secretary of the Department of Space, Dr. S. Somanath (Narayanan), have not yet categorically labeled the mission a total failure, the satellites failed to reach the required altitude. Experts suggest it will take time for the agency to analyze the telemetry data and implement necessary corrections for future launches.
Major payloads lost in space
The failure resulted in the loss of 16 satellites, including a collaborative Earth Observation payload from Thailand and the UK. Significant Indian satellites lost include:
- DRDO’s Anvesha: A strategic "super-eye" designed to unmask military camouflage from an altitude of 500 km.
- AayulSAT: India’s pioneering in-orbit refueling satellite.
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