India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) suffered a launch failure due to an anomaly during orbital insertion, resulting in the loss of its primary Earth-observation satellite and 15 additional payloads carried onboard.
The PSLV-C62 mission lifted off on the morning of January 12 (Kyiv time) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. Live broadcast footage showed the rocket losing attitude control approximately six minutes after liftoff, during the operation of the third stage. The stage entered an uncontrolled rotation, which led to the complete failure of the mission. The primary EOS-N1 satellite and all 15 secondary payloads were lost.
The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), V. Narayanan, commented on the incident, stating that flight parameters remained within expected limits until the final phase of third-stage operation. “Toward the end of the third stage [burn], we observed slightly higher roll-rate oscillations and a corresponding deviation from the planned flight trajectory,” Narayanan said. “We are analyzing the data and will return to this issue as soon as possible.”
Space analyst and researcher Jonathan McDowell suggested that the rocket’s third stage likely entered a suborbital trajectory and subsequently fell into the Indian Ocean.
The launch was conducted by NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO. According to available information, the EOS-N1 satellite was intended to perform hyperspectral Earth observation and was likely oriented toward military and strategic applications.
In addition to EOS-N1, several other spacecraft were lost in the failed mission. These included the Theos-2 Earth-observation satellite, developed by the UK-based company SSTL in cooperation with Thailand; multiple small satellites from the Indian company Dhruva Space; and a diplomatic satellite developed with Nepal’s participation. The payload also included five spacecraft built for the Brazilian company AlltoSpace, which were intended to demonstrate Internet of Things sensors, collect agricultural data, and support fishing vessels in emergency situations. All payloads aboard the launch were lost.
The Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) mission also failed to be carried out. KID was a 25-kilogram prototype reentry vehicle developed by the Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm with support from the European Space Agency. The spacecraft was intended to separate from the launcher near the end of the flight and perform a controlled splashdown, but it was lost along with the launch vehicle.
This marks the second consecutive failure of the PSLV rocket. The previous launch, on May 17, 2025, also ended unsuccessfully due to an anomaly during third-stage operation, resulting in the loss of the EOS-09 radar satellite. The current flight was the 64th launch of the PSLV program. Despite the recent incidents, the vehicle has previously completed a number of major missions, including Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission, and the Aditya-L1 solar observatory.
The failure may lead to delays in upcoming PSLV launches. These include the PSLV-C63 mission carrying the TDS-01 technology demonstration satellite, as well as the PSLV-N1 launch with the EOS-10 satellite. The latter mission is of particular importance, as it is intended to be the first PSLV produced entirely by an Indian industrial consortium led by HAL and L&T.
One of the key milestones for India’s space program in 2026 remains the first uncrewed flight under the Gaganyaan program. The mission is planned to launch aboard the HLVM3-G1 launch vehicle and will serve to validate life-support systems, atmospheric reentry, and capsule recovery following a splashdown. The spacecraft will carry the humanoid robot Vyommitra. A second uncrewed test flight is currently scheduled for late 2026.
Read also:
- South Korean Hanbit Nano Rocket Falls One Minute After Launch
- NATO intelligence warns that Russia is exploring the possibility of attacks on Starlink satellites
Source: spacenews
