The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the EOS-N1 hyperspectral imaging satellite, along with 15 co-passenger satellites, as part of the PSLV-C62 mission. However, the PSLV rocket encountered a performance anomaly in an attempt to place the satellites into a Sun-synchronous orbit.
The satellites are now feared lost in space.
The launch took place at 10:18 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. In a twist during the launch, ISRO announced that the PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of the PS3 stage. V. Narayanan, chairman at ISRO, announced in his speech that the performance of the vehicle close to the third stage was as expected.
But towards the end of that stage, some disturbance was experienced in the vehicle’s roll rates and a deviation in the flight path. “We are analysing the data, and we shall come back at the earliest,” he added.
This is not the first time this anomaly has occurred, though. Last year, during the launch of the EOS-9 surveillance satellite into the intended orbit, its launch vehicle, PSLV-C61, encountered a similar technical issue.
Post the launch in May 2025, Narayanan said in a statement, “During the third stage, it’s a silent motor system; we are seeing absolution, there was a fall in the chamber pressure of the motor case, and the mission could not be accomplished. We are studying the entire performance and shall come back at the earliest.”
The PSLV-C62 mission carried the EOS-N1 satellite along with 15 satellites from Indian and international customers. The EOS-N1, also known as Anvesha, is an Earth observation satellite designed for strategic purposes.
One of the 15, the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator capsule, was to separate after the fourth stage restarted, deviating from the group. This capsule from a Spanish startup should have followed a planned re-entry path, with splashdown expected in the South Pacific Ocean. Both the PS4 stage and the capsule were designed to re-enter the atmosphere safely.
For the uncertainty of the mission, Pawan Kumar Chandana, founder and CEO at Skyroot Aerospace, said in a post on LinkedIn, “Sad to learn PSLV-C62 mission didn’t go as planned. Even the most reliable launch vehicles stumble at times. What matters is how quickly we learn and bounce back.”
Several satellites on the mission focused on technology demonstration. These included student-built satellites from Dhruva Space and a joint payload, MOI-1, from TakeMe2Space, Dhruva, and EON Space Labs that would have enabled AI model processing onboard a satellite, directly in orbit.
Other payloads included satellites from Brazil, Nepal, France, and Spain, as well as additional payloads from Indian players, such as OrbitAid’s AyulSat payload, aimed at demonstrating in-orbit fuelling capabilities.
The mission was the ninth dedicated commercial launch undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). It also marked the fifth flight of the PSLV-DL variant and the 64th flight of the PSLV rocket. The rocket used two solid strap-on motors for this mission.
PSLV is the workhorse launch vehicle of the Indian Space Research Organisation. It has flown missions such as Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission and Aditya-L1. In 2017, PSLV launched 104 satellites in a single mission.
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