PSLV-C62 Mission Faces Anomaly; Satellite Deployment Unconfirmed, Says ISRO
India’s PSLV-C62 mission encountered a problem on Monday after a disturbance was detected in the rocket’s third stage, causing a deviation from its planned trajectory and leaving the deployment of its satellites unconfirmed.
The PSLV-C62 lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre carrying the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) Earth observation satellite along with 14 co-passenger satellites. However, ISRO later stated that the mission experienced an anomaly and that it was analyzing telemetry and flight data to determine the outcome.
“Today, we had attempted the PSLV-C62 launch mission. We are analyzing the data and shall come back to you,” ISRO said in a brief statement.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan explained that the disturbance in the third stage caused the rocket to deviate from its intended flight path. A detailed review of the mission is underway to ascertain the status of the EOS-N1 satellite and the 14 co-passenger payloads.
Because of the anomaly, it is not yet confirmed whether the satellites were successfully placed into their intended polar sun-synchronous orbit. Telemetry data from the vehicle is being carefully examined to assess the spacecraft and payloads.
The PSLV-C62 launch was intended to be India’s first space mission of 2026 and the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The launch followed a previous PSLV mission in 2025, which had been aborted due to a technical observation, highlighting the significance of Monday’s attempt for ISRO.
The mission plan involved deploying the Earth observation satellite first, followed by 14 domestic and international co-passenger satellites arranged through NewSpace India Ltd, ISRO’s commercial arm. The flight also included a planned in-orbit demonstration of a small re-entry capsule from a Spanish startup.
ISRO confirmed that a detailed update will be shared once the ongoing analysis of the anomaly and telemetry data is complete.
