• Source:JND

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday, January 12, said that due to a technical failure midway during the third stage separation, the PSLV-C62 mission ended in a failure. The launch vehicle was carrying the Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-N1 along with 15 co-passenger satellites. The PSLV-C62 mission faced disturbances in the rocket and deviation from the flight path during the third stage. The satellites could not be placed in the intended orbit and all 16 of them were lost in space, PTI quoted ISRO sources as saying.

This was the 64th operation of the PSLV, which has been widely regarded as India’s most reliable and successful launch vehicle. The mission is being carried out by NewSpace India Limited and is set to show India’s rise in the global small-satellite launch market. Today's anomaly marked only the fifth failure of the PSLV so far and the second consecutive failure after PSLV-C61-EOS-09 did not succeed due to a "motor pressure issue" in May 2025. 

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What Is The PSLV?

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is a medium-lift, four-stage launch vehicle which has been designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Frequently referred to as the trusted "Workhorse of ISRO", it has been a cornerstone of India's space program for over three decades, providing reliable and cost-effective access to space since the rocket was developed during the early 1990s.  

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ISRO's Past Five PSLV Missions 

Despite the recent failure of the PSLV mission, the launch vehicle has been part of several successful space exploration missions for India:

  • Chandrayaan-1 Mission: Launched in 2008, the PSLV C11 mission, which carried the Chandrayaan-1 orbiter spacecraft, marked India’s first lunar mission. The spacecraft orbited the Moon to map its surface, analyse its mineralogy, and, crucially, provided the first definitive evidence of water molecules on the lunar surface, marking a major milestone in space exploration

  • Mangalyaan Mission: The PSLV C25 successfully launched the country’s maiden Mars orbiter mission in 2013, proving the Indian launch vehicle’s capability for interplanetary travel. 

    • Astrosat: The PSLV-C30 in 2015 launched India's first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, allowing simultaneous study of celestial objects across different X-ray and UV bands.

    • PSLV C37 Mission: Launched in 2017, the Indian launch vehicle deployed over 104 satellites in a single mission, showcasing its versatility and cost-effectiveness for multiple payloads.

    • NavIC (IRNSS): The PSLV has also been instrumental in deploying multiple satellites like the NavIC satellite, which has been crucial for national security and civilian applications. 


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