Sriharikota: India’s space programme faced an unexpected setback on Sunday after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C62) mission failed due to an anomaly during the rocket’s third stage.
The PSLV lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre as scheduled, with the initial phases of the flight progressing normally. However, mission controllers later detected abnormal performance during the third stage of the launch sequence, preventing the vehicle from achieving its intended orbit.
ISRO said telemetry data indicated a deviation soon after third-stage ignition, leading to the loss of the mission. The payloads onboard are believed to have been lost as a result of the failure.
The space agency has initiated a detailed analysis to determine the exact cause of the malfunction. Senior officials said a comprehensive review of propulsion systems and flight data is underway, and corrective measures will be implemented before future launches.
The PSLV has long been regarded as ISRO’s most reliable launch vehicle, often described as the backbone of India’s satellite launch programme. Sunday’s failure marks a rare but serious interruption to that record, underscoring the inherent complexities and risks of spaceflight.
ISRO is expected to release a detailed failure analysis report in the coming days as it prepares for its next set of missions.
