The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) suffered a rare setback with the PSLV-C61 mission, failing to orbit the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite due to a suspected third-stage malfunction. Launched from Sriharikota, this marks only the third failure in 63 PSLV missions. ISRO is investigating, but the loss delays India’s ambitious 52-satellite surveillance network. Stay tuned for updates on this unfolding story.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faced a significant setback with its 101st mission, the PSLV-C61, which failed to place the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite into orbit. Launched at 5:59 a.m. IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle performed normally until its third stage, where a suspected flex nozzle malfunction caused a sharp drop in velocity, derailing the mission. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed the anomaly, and investigations are underway to pinpoint the cause. This marks only the third failure in 63 PSLV launches, a rare misstep for India’s reliable “workhorse” rocket. The loss delays India’s plans for a 52-satellite surveillance constellation, though four more PSLV launches are slated for 2025.
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
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