-Friday World- January 13, 2026
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faced a major setback at the start of 2026. On January 12, 2026, the PSLV-C62 rocket lifted off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10:18 AM IST, but a serious anomaly in the third stage (PS3) caused the vehicle to deviate from its flight path, resulting in the complete failure of the mission. The primary payload, EOS-N1 (Anvesha), along with 15 co-passenger satellites, could not be placed into the intended Sun-synchronous orbit (approximately 505 km), and all 16 satellites are presumed lost—either drifting in incorrect trajectories or re-entering the atmosphere and burning up.
Successful Liftoff, But Disaster in the Third Stage
The launch proceeded normally through the first and second stages. However, towards the end of the third stage, disturbances in the vehicle's roll rates and a noticeable deviation in the flight path were observed. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan stated, "The performance of the vehicle up to the end of the third stage was as expected, then we saw more disturbance in the vehicle's roll rates. Subsequently, there was a deviation observed in the flight path. We are analysing the data, and we shall come back at the earliest."
Due to this issue, the fourth stage could not properly separate the payloads. This was the 64th flight of the PSLV (fifth in the DL variant) and came as a return-to-flight attempt after the rare failure of PSLV-C61 in May 2025, which also involved a third-stage anomaly (drop in chamber pressure). The back-to-back failures in the same stage have raised serious questions about the reliability of the PSLV's solid-propellant third stage.
Anvesha' (EOS-N1): India's Advanced 'Eye in the Sky' Surveillance Satellite
The mission's main payload was EOS-N1, codenamed Anvesha, an advanced hyperspectral Earth observation satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Nicknamed "India's eye in the sky," it was designed to capture images across hundreds of narrow wavelengths, far beyond what conventional cameras can do.
This capability enables:
→ Detection of military camouflage and hidden weapons by identifying material signatures.
→ Tracking troop movements along borders, terrain changes, and grey-zone activities (e.g., from China).
→ Support for civilian applications like agriculture monitoring, environmental assessment, and disaster management.
Anvesha was meant to operate in a 505 km Sun-synchronous orbit for strategic defence and multi-purpose surveillance, but the failure has deprived India of this critical asset.
Other Key Satellites Lost in the Mission Besides Anvesha, the mission carried 15 co-passenger satellites from Indian startups, universities, and international partners (including Nepal, Spain, Brazil, France, and the UK). This marked the first time foreign client payloads were affected in a PSLV failure. Notable among them:
→ AayulSAT (by OrbitAID Aerospace): A pioneering demonstration of on-orbit refuelling technology, dubbed the "space petrol pump," crucial for future satellite servicing and extending mission lifespans.
→ Other payloads: LACHIT-1 (Northeast India's first satellite), CGUSAT-1 (Odisha's first), various CubeSats with AI processing, IoT
communication, radiation monitoring, and more.
The loss also included technology demonstrators like the KID re-entry capsule from a Spanish startup. This setback impacts not only national security but also NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)'s commercial rideshare program and India's growing private space ecosystem.
ISRO's Response and Next Steps
ISRO has immediately constituted a Failure Analysis Committee to investigate the root cause, focusing on the third-stage anomaly. This is the second consecutive PS3 issue, following the 2025 PSLV-C61 failure. The agency has promised a detailed update once the analysis is complete.
Despite this disappointment, ISRO's history shows remarkable resilience—bouncing back from setbacks to achieve iconic successes like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan. The PSLV remains India's reliable "workhorse," and such challenges are expected to lead to stronger systems ahead.
India's space journey continues—this is merely a temporary hurdle, but a vital lesson on the path to greater success! 🚀🇮🇳
Sajjad Ali Nayani ✍
Friday World- January 13, 2026
