ISRO’s PSLV-C61 Mission Falls Short as Rocket Glitch Stops EOS-09 Satellite Deployment

India's 101st space mission, PSLV-C61/EOS-09, did not end on a happy note as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that the mission "could not be accomplished". The launch was delayed after a technical glitch in the third stage of the rocket, which took off at 5.59 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The EOS-09 Earth observation spacecraft, which was intended for delivery into Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) 17 minutes after lift-off, failed during the flight.

ISRO Probes PSLV-C61 Third-Stage Failure That Halted EOS-09 Satellite Deployment

As per the latest report by ISRO, the team noted a loss in chamber pressure during operation, therefore compromising the mission even if the third stage motor started satisfactorily. The PSLV's first and second stages performed normally. The third stage, a solid rocket motor designed for high-thrust performance beyond the atmosphere, was identified as the failure point. A detailed post-flight analysis is now underway to determine the root cause of the anomaly.

The C61 flight marked the PSLV's 63rd launch and 27th in its PSLV-XL configuration. The rocket had been practically trouble-free before today; it had only flubbed twice since its 1993 launch. Most latest prior launch failure was in 2017; thought to be the first in eight years. ISRO finished their last mission, SpaDeX, last month in December 2024. But a valve problem results in a failure of orbit-raising of the NVS-02 in January 2025, which results in this latest flop.

Based on the RISAT-1 heritage platform, EOS-09 weighed 1,696.24 kg. It was equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, which was intended to offer high-resolution images, whatever the weather. Designed with a five-year operational life, the satellite should raise India's remote sensing capability and offer uses ranging across various sectors.

Former ISRO S. Somanath claimed that the third stage motor is still under development even if the corporation has not officially announced cancellation.