Sriharikota: The country’s first space mission of 2026 ran into difficulty on Monday when the PSLV-C62 rocket experienced a flight anomaly near the end of its third stage, preventing it from completing its planned orbit insertion.
Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off on schedule, carrying EOS-N1/Anvesha, an Earth observation payload, along with 15 co-passenger satellites for domestic and international customers.
In a post on X, ISRO announced shortly after liftoff that the vehicle suffered a deviation during the PS3 phase, disrupting the ascent sequence.
While the first and second stages appeared to perform as intended, the guidance error after the third stage meant the mission could not proceed to its final orbital injection burn.
The loss marks an unusual setback for the PSLV family, which has built a reputation as one of ISRO’s most reliable launch platforms. The vehicle has played a central role in the country’s space programme for three decades, putting satellites into Earth observation, navigation, and scientific orbits, in addition to launching commercial spacecraft for global customers.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the focus now is on a full technical assessment, with findings to guide future missions. Senior officials indicated that additional details would be shared after the initial failure analysis is completed.
Despite the anomaly, ISRO maintains a robust launch calendar.
