ISRO kicked off 2026 with a tough moment; the PSLV-C62 launch failed just after liftoff on January 12. The mission was supposed to put the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) earth observation satellite and 15 smaller experimental satellites into orbit. Everything looked fine at first, but then a technical snag in the later phase threw the rocket off course and ended the mission early.
So, what went wrong in the ISRO mission?
Manish Purohit, a former ISRO engineer, explained that the trouble started in the solid third stage of the PSLV. As the third stage neared burnout, it began to twist, which messed with the rocket’s stability and flight path. Because of that, the rocket couldn’t pick up enough speed to reach the right orbit. Instead, the upper stage and all 16 satellites curved back toward Earth instead of staying in space.
By nightfall, the satellites had already re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. The heat during re-entry almost certainly burnt everything up, and whatever little debris survived probably splashed down in the ocean. That’s the end for EOS-N1 and the 15 smaller Indian satellites riding along.
PSLV’s 64th mission
This was PSLV’s 64th mission—ISRO’s workhorse launcher, really the backbone of India’s space programme. The first two rocket stages did their jobs, but the third-stage hiccup stopped the mission cold. This is only the fourth failure in PSLV’s long history, and just the second time the third stage has caused trouble. Even with this setback, PSLV still has a strong record that spans decades.
ISRO is not wasting any time
ISRO has set up a failure analysis committee to dig into what happened. The team will go over the flight data, check the rocket hardware, and look closely at how the third stage fired and burnt out. ISRO says it’s committed to learning from mistakes and making future launches stronger. Officials know setbacks come with the territory, but they’re already focused on moving forward and getting it right next time.
