India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61) mission faced a rare setback early Sunday morning as an anomaly in the third-stage propulsion system led to the failure of the EOS-09 satellite launch.
This marks the PSLV programme’s third total failure in 63 missions and its first since 2017.
The PSLV-C61 rocket lifted off at 5:59 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
While the first two stages performed as expected, the mission encountered trouble during the operation of the third stage, which uses a solid propellant known as hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB).
Mission Terminated Mid-Flight
Telemetry data indicated underperformance of the third stage roughly 203 seconds into flight, prompting the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to terminate the mission.
ISRO designed the 1,710 kg EOS-09 satellite for remote sensing using C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), but it failed to reach its intended sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 524 km.
ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan confirmed the anomaly during a live broadcast, stating, “The third stage motor ignited perfectly; however, during its operation, an anomaly was observed, and the mission could not be completed successfully.”
“PSLV-C61 performance was normal till 2nd stage. Due to an observation in 3rd stage, the mission could not be accomplished,” read a post later shared by ISRO on X.
Today 101st launch was attempted, PSLV-C61 performance was normal till 2nd stage. Due to an observation in 3rd stage, the mission could not be accomplished.
— ISRO (@isro) May 18, 2025
Investigation Underway
ISRO has constituted a failure analysis committee to investigate the cause, reviewing propellant flow, nozzle performance, and structural components of the third stage.
The agency will also examine manufacturing records and test data to identify root causes.
ISRO destroyed the fourth stage and the EOS-09 satellite in accordance with flight termination protocols, confirming that the debris would fall safely without posing any threat.
The space agency designed EOS-09 to enhance India’s remote sensing capabilities, supporting key areas such as border surveillance, agriculture, flood monitoring, forestry, and disaster management.
ISRO also planned for the satellite to contribute to its broader 52-satellite surveillance constellation aimed at improving national security and disaster response.
The mission’s failure represents a temporary setback for ISRO’s ambitious 2025 plans.
However, the space agency has a strong track record of quick recovery, with previous turnaround times from failed missions under six months.
Despite this failure, ISRO has four more PSLV launches scheduled for 2025.
The agency remains optimistic, citing its robust recovery mechanism and commitment to improving space-based services for strategic and civilian applications.
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