India suffered a rare setback to its otherwise reliable space programme on Monday after a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission encountered an anomaly mid-flight, forcing a deviation from its planned trajectory, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.
The PSLV-C62 rocket lifted off as scheduled from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, carrying an Earth observation satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites for domestic and international customers. A live broadcast showed the four-stage launch vehicle rising smoothly through the initial phases of flight.
However, ISRO later confirmed that the mission ran into trouble toward the end of the rocket’s third stage. “PSLV-C62 encountered an anomaly towards the end of the third stage,” ISRO said in a brief post on X, without providing immediate technical details. “A detailed analysis has been initiated.”
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan acknowledged the issue during a live commentary on India’s state broadcaster, Doordarshan. “Close to the end of the third stage, we are seeing a little more disturbance in the vehicle,” he said. “Subsequently, there is a deviation observed in the vehicle flight path.”
While ISRO has not yet clarified whether the satellites were successfully placed into their intended orbits, officials indicated that mission data is being closely reviewed to determine the cause and consequences of the anomaly.
The PSLV, often described as the backbone of India’s launch capability, has earned a reputation for reliability over nearly three decades of service. It has been used to deploy many of India’s flagship missions, including the country’s first lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, and its Mars Orbiter Mission in 2013. In 2017, the PSLV entered the record books by launching 104 satellites in a single mission, underscoring its role as a preferred vehicle for commercial and small-satellite launches.
The setback comes as India continues to rapidly expand its space ambitions. Over the past decade, ISRO has gained global attention for delivering complex missions at comparatively low cost. In August 2023, India became the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has since announced even more ambitious goals, including plans to send Indian astronauts to the Moon by 2040, highlighting the strategic and symbolic importance of space exploration in India’s long-term vision.
