PSLV-C62 mission witnesses PS3 stage disturbance, flight path deviation: ISRO

India’s PSLV-C62 mission, carrying the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) Earth observation satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites, encountered an anomaly during flight on Monday, prompting ISRO to begin a detailed analysis. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said a disturbance was observed towards the end of the third-stage (PS3) burn, followed by a deviation in the vehicle’s flight path.

In a post on X, ISRO said that while the mission progressed normally until the latter part of the third stage, unexpected disturbances were detected. “We are analysing the data and will share details at the earliest,” Narayanan said, adding that the PSLV, a four-stage launch vehicle with two solid and two liquid stages, otherwise performed as expected.

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The launch from the First Launch Pad at Sriharikota marked ISRO’s first major mission of 2026 and aimed to place an Earth observation satellite into orbit. Conducted by NewSpace India Limited, the flight was the ninth dedicated commercial Earth observation mission.

The mission also highlighted growing private-sector participation. Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space contributed seven satellites, including four built in-house. Its co-founder and CFO, Chaitanya Dora Surapureddy, said the satellites are designed for low data-rate communication and can be used by amateur radio operators, serving as an important technology demonstration.