ISRO’s PSLV-C62 Mission Encounters Anomaly During EOS-N1 Launch

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) began its 2026 launch campaign on Monday, January 12, with the highly anticipated PSLV-C62 mission. The launch took place from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, at 10:17 am.

However, shortly after liftoff, ISRO confirmed that the mission encountered an anomaly at the end of stage 3, triggering an immediate investigation.

ISRO Confirms Deviation in Flight Path

ISRO officially acknowledged the problem through a statement, saying the PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly at the end of stage 3 and that a detailed analysis has been initiated.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said:

"Today, we have attempted the PSLV C62/EOS - N1 Mission. There is a deviation observed in the vehicle flight path. The mission could not proceed in the expected path. We are going through the data from all ground stations."

This indicates that the rocket did not follow the planned trajectory required for successful satellite deployment.

What Was PSLV-C62 Supposed to Launch?

EOS-N1 and 14 Co-Passenger Satellites

The PSLV-C62 mission was tasked with placing EOS-N1 and 14 other payloads into space.

• EOS-N1 is an Earth Observation Satellite jointly developed by Thailand and the United Kingdom

• The remaining 14 co-passenger satellites include payloads from both Indian and international customers

• The mission was executed by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm

The satellites were supposed to be injected into a sun-synchronous orbit about 17 minutes after lift-off.

Mission Timeline and Launch Details

This marked the 64th flight of PSLV, one of ISRO’s most dependable launch vehicles.

In-Orbit KID Capsule Experiment Planned

Even after satellite deployment, the mission was designed to continue for several hours.

PS4 Restart and Re-entry Test

ISRO planned a critical in-orbit experiment using:

• PS4 (fourth stage of PSLV)

• Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) capsule, developed by a Spanish startup

The experiment involved:

• Restarting the PS4 stage

• Lowering its orbit

• Sending it on a re-entry trajectory

• Releasing the KID capsule for atmospheric re-entry

Both the PS4 stage and the capsule were expected to splash down in the South Pacific Ocean.

PSLV’s Strong Reliability Record

Despite the anomaly, PSLV remains one of the world’s most trusted rockets.

The vehicle has completed 63 missions prior to PSLV-C62 and has powered some of India’s biggest space achievements, including:

• Chandrayaan-1 (India’s first lunar mission)

• Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan)

• Aditya-L1 solar observatory

These landmark successes have made PSLV a backbone of India’s space programme and a preferred launch vehicle for international customers.

What Happens Next?

ISRO is now analysing telemetry and ground station data to identify exactly what caused the stage-3 deviation. Once the investigation is complete, the agency will announce:

• Whether EOS-N1 and the other satellites were affected

• The root cause of the anomaly

• Corrective measures for future missions