ISRO to launch Earth observation satellite on January 12
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will kick off its 2026 launch calendar with the PSLV-C62 mission on January 12. The primary payload of this mission is the EOS-N1 Earth Observation Satellite, which has been jointly developed by Thailand and the United Kingdom. The satellite will be launched along with 14 other co-passenger satellites from domestic and international customers.
Global collaboration
PSLV-C62 mission: A collaborative international effort
The PSLV-C62 mission, which is the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), is undertaken by ISRO with NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), ISRO's commercial arm, managing the commercial aspects. The integration of the vehicle and satellites has been completed, with pre-launch checks currently underway. The launch is scheduled for January 12 at 10:17am from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.
Launch timeline
Countdown and deployment schedule for PSLV-C62 mission
The countdown for the satellite launch will begin on January 11, marking the 64th flight of the PSLV rocket. The primary payload, Earth Observation Satellite, will be deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit about 17 minutes after lift-off. However, separation of the fourth stage of the rocket (PS4) and demonstration of Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) capsule belonging to a Spanish startup is expected to take place over two hours after launch.
Re-entry trial
KID capsule's re-entry demonstration and splashdown
ISRO scientists will restart the fourth stage of the rocket to demonstrate the KID capsule's re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. This will be followed by PS4 stage and KID capsule separation. Both PS4 stage and KID capsule (the last co-passenger) will re-enter Earth's atmosphere, making a splashdown in South Pacific Ocean. So far, PSLV rocket has completed 63 flights, including Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), and Aditya-L1 mission.