PSLV-C62 Mission Encounters Anomaly During Third Stage

ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission, carrying an Earth Observation satellite along with multiple commercial payloads, encountered an anomaly during the third stage of its flight on Monday, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said.

The 44.4-metre-tall, four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle lifted off as scheduled at 10.18 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The mission aimed to place the primary Earth Observation satellite and several co-passenger satellites into a 512-km Sun-Synchronous Orbit.

According to ISRO, the first two stages of the launch vehicle performed as expected. However, towards the end of the third stage (PS3), disturbances were observed in the vehicle, leading to a deviation in the flight path.

Addressing scientists and engineers at the Mission Control Centre, Narayanan said that while the vehicle’s performance was nominal up to the end of the third stage, increased disturbances were noticed close to PS3 burnout, followed by a deviation in the trajectory. He added that the data is being analysed and further details will be shared at the earliest.

ISRO later confirmed the development in a post on X, stating that the PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of the third stage and that a detailed analysis has been initiated.

The PSLV-C62 launch was ISRO’s first mission of the year and was undertaken as part of a commercial contract secured by NewSpace India Limited, the space agency’s commercial arm.