The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) suffered a setback on Sunday as its 101st mission, the PSLV-C61 with the EOS-09 satellite, faces technical failures in the launch vehicle. The failure caused the mission to fail and the satellite could not be deployed successfully.
The local PSLV or Polar satellite launcher – PSLV-C61, was lifted from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, with the aim of putting the EOS-09 into the Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO).
While the first and second phases of the launch vehicle were operating properly, ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan said unexpected problems occurred in the third phase, thus preventing the successful deployment of the satellite.
“Today, we try the 101st launch from Sriharikota, the PSLV-C61 with the EOS-09 mission. The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle with normal performance until the second to the second stage motor.
He further said: “We will come back after analysis.”
#watch | Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh | ISRO Chief V Narayanan said: “Today, we try to launch the PSLV-C61 vehicle. The vehicle is a four-stage vehicle. The first two stages are as expected. In the third stage, we see the observation… The mission cannot be… pic.twitter.com/by7lz8g0iz
– ani (@ani) May 18, 2025
ISRO also released an update on X, noting: “Today's attempt to release 101, the performance of the PSLV-C61 is normal until the second phase. Due to observations in the third phase, the task cannot be completed.”
Today I tried the 101st release and until the second phase, the performance of the PSLV-C61 was normal. As observations were performed in the third phase, the task could not be completed.
– ISRO (@isro) May 18, 2025
The third phase of the PSLV is a solid rocket motor designed to provide high thrust during the upper atmosphere phase of flight with a maximum thrust of 240 kilometers. It plays a crucial role in putting satellites into their intended orbit.
EOS-09 is designed to provide continuous and reliable remote sensing data for operational applications across various sectors, from border surveillance and national security to agriculture, forestry, flood monitoring and disaster management. To carry out the mission, PSLV brought 1,710 kg of satellites into the sun-synchronous orbit to ensure continuous illumination for Earth observation.
The mission is also designed to promote sustainability and conduct responsible space operations. The EOS-09 is a repetitive satellite similar to the EOS-04 launched in 2022, and is designed to ensure remote sensing data and increase observation frequency for the user community engaged in operating applications.
