Sriharikota: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday launched the PSLV-C62 mission, marking the first space mission of India’s 2026 launch calendar. 
While the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off successfully, the mission encountered a technical anomaly shortly after the third stage of flight, ISRO officials said.
The PSLV-C62 lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, carrying the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite along with 14 co-passenger satellites for domestic and international customers. The mission was undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm, and represents NSIL’s ninth dedicated commercial launch.
The flight also marked the 64th mission of the PSLV, ISRO’s long-serving and most reliable launch vehicle. However, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that the mission experienced a disturbance near the end of the third stage (PS3).
“Today, we attempted the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle with two solid and two liquid stages. The vehicle’s performance was nominal until near the end of the third stage, where we observed increased disturbances,” Narayanan said. “Subsequently, a deviation in the vehicle’s flight path was detected. We are currently analysing the data.”
In a post on X, ISRO later stated that the mission encountered an anomaly at the end of the PS3 stage and that a detailed technical analysis is underway.
Mission Details
Standing 44.4 metres tall with a lift-off mass of 260 tonnes, the PSLV-C62 used the PSLV-DL configuration, which is equipped with two solid strap-on motors. The countdown for the launch began 25 hours prior to lift-off, which took place at 10:17 am on January 12.
The primary payload, EOS-N1, is an Earth observation satellite jointly developed by Thailand and the United Kingdom. It was planned to be deployed into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit, along with the other co-passenger satellites, approximately 17 minutes after lift-off.
Technology Demonstration Payload
In addition to its commercial payloads, the PSLV-C62 mission was also scheduled to demonstrate the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID), a small-scale re-entry vehicle developed by a Spanish startup. The KID capsule was the final co-passenger on board.
According to ISRO, the demonstration was planned more than two hours after launch. The mission profile included restarting the fourth stage (PS4) to de-boost the stage and place it on a controlled re-entry trajectory, following which the KID capsule would separate and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. Both the PS4 stage and the capsule were expected to splash down in the South Pacific Ocean.
The full mission duration was expected to exceed two hours, covering all planned orbital manoeuvres and technology demonstrations.
PSLV’s Track Record
Despite the anomaly, the PSLV-C62 mission underscores ISRO’s continued focus on commercial launch services. The PSLV has completed 63 successful missions prior to this flight and has been instrumental in landmark missions such as Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, and AstroSat.
In 2017, the launch vehicle set a world record by deploying 104 satellites in a single mission.
ISRO officials said further updates on the PSLV-C62 mission will be shared after the completion of the ongoing technical analysis.
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