ISRO's PSLV-C62 Mission Faces Setback: What Went Wrong?

ISRO's PSLV-C62 mission, which aimed to launch an Earth Observation satellite, faced an unexpected anomaly during its third stage. The rocket lifted off successfully but encountered disturbances that led to a deviation in its flight path. ISRO's chairman, V Narayanan, addressed the situation, assuring that a detailed analysis is underway. This mission marks ISRO's first launch of the year and is part of a contract with NewSpace India Ltd. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 12, 2026, 11:55 IST

Anomaly Detected in PSLV-C62 Launch

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh): On Monday, ISRO's PSLV-C62, which was tasked with launching an Earth Observation satellite along with several commercial payloads, experienced an anomaly during its third stage, as reported by the chairman of the space agency, V Narayanan.

The 44.4-meter tall rocket successfully lifted off from the spaceport at 10:18 AM as planned.

This mission aimed to position a primary Earth Observation satellite and multiple co-passenger satellites into a Sun-Synchronous Orbit at an altitude of 512 km.

ISRO indicated that the initial two stages of the launch proceeded as expected, but disturbances were noted at the conclusion of the third stage (PS3).

During a briefing at the Mission Control Centre, Narayanan explained, "The PSLV is designed with four stages, comprising two solid and two liquid stages. The vehicle's performance was satisfactory until the end of the third stage, but we observed increased disturbances and a deviation in the flight path near the end of this stage."

"We are currently analyzing the data and will provide updates as soon as possible," he added.

In a subsequent update on 'X', ISRO confirmed, "The PSLV-C62 mission faced an anomaly at the end of PS3. A comprehensive analysis is underway."

This launch marked ISRO's first mission of the year and was part of a contract awarded to NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial subsidiary of ISRO.