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India\u2019s space agency, ISRO, is set to return to flight with its most trusted launch vehicle \u2014 the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) \u2014 with the\u00a0PSLV-C62 mission scheduled for January 12, 2026, from Sriharikota. The rocket will place the\u00a0EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite\u00a0into orbit, marking PSLV\u2019s first mission since a rare failure in mid-2025.\u00a0<\/p>
The previous mission,\u00a0PSLV-C61, launched on\u00a0May 18, 2025, failed about eight minutes into flight. A sudden drop in\u00a0third-stage chamber pressure\u00a0caused the EOS-09 radar imaging satellite to end up in an unusable orbit.\u00a0<\/p>
ISRO Chairman\u00a0V\u00a0Narayanan\u00a0attributed the failure to a\u00a0propulsion anomaly in the solid-fuel stage. Although a\u00a0Failure Analysis Committee (FAC)\u00a0investigated the incident, its detailed findings have not yet been made public, prompting some debate around transparency.\u00a0<\/p>
How ISRO responded<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p> Following the setback \u2014 the\u00a0third failure in 63 PSLV launches \u2014 ISRO grounded the PSLV fleet and carried out extensive post-failure reviews. Corrective measures included:\u00a0<\/p> Only after these changes was the PSLV cleared for the C62 mission.\u00a0<\/p>