ISRO's PSLV-C62 mission fails after mid-flight anomaly
What's the story
The Indian Space Research Organisation has encountered an anomaly during the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission. According to ISRO Chairman V Narayanan, the launch vehicle performed as expected through most of the mission. However, close to the end of the third stage, the rocket showed unexpected behavior, preventing the mission from proceeding as planned. Since satellites deploy in the fourth stage, this deviation likely prevented mission objectives from being achieved. ISRO is analysing the data and will provide updates at th earliest.
Performance
Rocket's performance was nominal until third stage
The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid stages and two liquid stages. Narayanan said the rocket's performance was nominal until near the completion of the third stage, underlining that the issue did not occur during lift-off or the early phases of flight. The current anomaly recalls ISRO's PSLV-C61 mission, which failed to fully meet its objectives due to an unexpected technical issue during flight.
Issue
What went wrong
ISRO observed a slightly higher-than-expected disturbance in the vehicle's roll rates near the end of the third stage. This was followed by a deviation in the planned flight path, according to Narayanan. Roll rate refers to the rocket's rotation along its axis, which is critical for maintaining stability and trajectory during flight. The PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission was ISRO's first launch of 2026. It carried DRDO's Earth observation satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites from various start-ups as well as other nations.
Status awaited
ISRO said it is currently analysing flight data
ISRO said it is currently analysing flight data to understand the sequence of events that led to the deviation. The agency has not yet confirmed the final status of the EOS-N1 satellite or whether any mission objectives were achieved. "We are analysing the data and will provide further updates at the earliest," Narayanan said, signaling that a detailed technical explanation is expected soon.
Twitter Post
Take a look at ISRO's post
The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during end of the PS3 stage. A detailed analysis has been initiated.
— ISRO (@isro) January 12, 2026