ISRO PSLV-C62 mission fails after third-stage anomaly, 16 satellites lost, ‘analysing’, says agency

ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C62 mission, failed on Monday after the launch vehicle faced an anomaly during the third stage of flight, losing all 16 satellites onboard, including a foreign Earth Observation satellite.

About PSLV-C62 mission

This marks the second consecutive failure for the Launch Vehicle, after the unsuccessful PSLV-C61-EOS-09 mission in May 2025.

The 44.4-metre-tall, four-stage rocket lifted off as scheduled at 10.18 am from the spaceport, following the conclusion of a 22.5-hour countdown.

The mission, the first of the year under the contract secured by NewSpace India Ltd, ISRO’s commercial arm, intended to place a primary Earth Observation satellite and multiple co-passenger satellites into a 512-km Sun-Synchronous Orbit after a flight of about 17 minutes.

According to ISRO, the automatic launch sequence began after approval from the mission director, and the initial phases of the flight proceeded as planned.

The first two stages were performed within expected parameters.

However, disturbances were observed near the end of the third stage when strap-on motors were providing thrust, leading to a deviation in the flight path.

Addressing the Mission Control Centre, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, V. Narayanan said, “The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle with two solid stages and two liquid stages. The performance of the vehicle up to the end of the third stage was expected. Close to the end of the third stage we are seeing more disturbance in the vehicle and subsequently, there was a deviation observed in the flight path.”

ISRO later confirmed the anomaly on its X handle, stating, “The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of PS3 (third stage) of the vehicle. A detailed analysis has been initiated.”

In a brief press conference later, Narayanan said, “As all of you are aware, today we attempted PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission... the mission could not proceed in the expected (flight) path. That is the information right now available.”

He added, “We are going through the data and with the data collected from all the ground stations and once the data analysis is completed, we shall come back to you.”

The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during end of the PS3 stage. A detailed analysis has been initiated.

— ISRO (@isro) January 12, 2026

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