Key Highlights
- Third‑stage chamber pressure drop forced the PSLV‑C61 launch to abort.
- EOS‑09, a 1.7‑ton all‑weather SAR satellite, never reached its Sun‑synchronous orbit.
- Only the third setback in PSLV’s 31‑year legacy, after failures in 2017 and 1993.
- ISRO is conducting a comprehensive investigative review to identify the fault.
- The incident underscores the growing technical complexity of India’s space programme.
Detailed Insights
Launch Context The PSLV‑C61 mission, scheduled for 18 May 2025 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, was the 101st ISRO flight and the 63rd PSLV launch overall.
Failure Mechanism While the first two stages operated normally, a sudden drop in chamber pressure within the third‑stage solid motor prevented the vehicle from reaching the intended Sun‑synchronous polar orbit, aborting the satellite insertion.
Mission Objectives EOS‑09 was designed to deliver continuous synthetic‑aperture‑radar imagery for all‑weather earth observation, supporting agriculture, forestry, soil‑moisture monitoring, and disaster management.
Organisational Response ISRO Chairperson V. Narayanan confirmed the technical failure and announced a post‑mission investigation. Former Chairman S. Somanath expressed confidence that the fault would be located and corrected.
Broader Significance This failure follows the 2025 NVS‑02 anomaly caused by a valve malfunction, highlighting the escalating engineering demands faced by India’s burgeoning space infrastructure.