The ISRO’s PSLV-C62 rocket loses control after launch, ISRO shares update after mission encounters anomaly
The 64th mission of PSLV, PSLV-C62 rocket had lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Srihari Kota on January 12, 2026 at 10:18 am. The India’s space ambitions suffered a major setback as ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission ended in failure, with all 16 satellites lost in space.
The space mission ran into trouble on Monday after a disturbance was observed in the third stage of the rocket, which led to a deviation from its planned flight path and leaving the deployment of its satellites unconfirmed.
The 260-tonne PSLV-DL variant thundered skyward at 10:18 AM IST, performing nominally through the first two stages and separation, captivating viewers nationwide.
ISRO chief V Narayanan said a disturbance was detected in the third stage of the rocket, following which PSLV-C62 deviated from its intended flight path. He added that a detailed analysis of the mission was underway.
After Nominal Start deviation started at third stage
According to ISRO, the first few minutes of the launch went as planned. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, a four-stage rocket, saw its first and second stages perform nominally.
During the third stage, the issues cropped up where a deviation was observed in the rocket’s trajectory. Dr. Narayanan later stated that the mission could not proceed on the expected path, though he refrained from declaring it as either a success or a failure.
However, any anomaly in the third stage of the mission of the PSLV results in a near-total mission failure.
After 2025 Failure, this was comeback flight
Basically, PSLV-C62 was actually a comeback mission for the launch vehicle. In 2025, PSLV had only one launch which failed. That failure too occured during the third stage of the rocket, as declared by ISRO at the time.
ISRO constituted a failure analysis committee following the 2025 mission, as per standard procedure. The precise cause of the failure is unknown, however the findings of that committee were never made public.
Despite this, ISRO went ahead with PSLV-C62 as its first launch of 2026.
PSLV-C62 was carrying a total of 16 satellites, including EOS-N1 and a surveillance satellite named Anvesha, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Impact On ISRO And Startups
Until its 63rd flight, the PSLV had recorded four failures. If the mission is eventually declared a failure, it would be the fifth failure in 64 PSLV launches
While five failures in 64 launches is not considered a poor record, the outcome would still be a setback for the Indian space programme. The setback extends beyond ISRO. The mission carried satellites from foreign countries, including Brazil, Nepal and the UK.
Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space had seven satellites onboard PSLV-C62, making it one of the major commercial stakeholders in the mission. Indian space startups are also affected.
India is also preparing to launch the first industry-made PSLV through a consortium involving Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro. The PSLV is regarded as a reliable launch space vehicle and it central to India’s commercial space ambitions.
ISRO has not officially declared PSLV-C62 a success or a failure till now. However, Dr. Narayanan’s statement declared that the mission could not proceed on the expected path has raised concerns that the flight may not have achieved its objectives.
The outcome, once confirmed, is expected to have significant implications for India’s space agency as well as private startups that are increasingly relying on the PSLV for satellite launches.