India’s attempt to place a surveillance satellite into orbit failed on Sunday after its launch vehicle encountered a technical issue, the country’s space agency has confirmed.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the PSLV-C61 rocket, carrying the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite, experienced a drop in chamber pressure during its third stage, preventing the mission from achieving its objective.
“During the third stage, there was a fall in the chamber pressure of the motor case, and the mission could not be accomplished,” ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said. “We are studying the entire performance and will share findings soon.”
The satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, early on Sunday. The failure marks a rare setback for ISRO, which is globally recognised for its cost-effective and increasingly ambitious space programme.
This is only the third failure involving India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) since its debut in 1993, underscoring the vehicle’s otherwise reliable record.
A Failure Analysis Committee is expected to investigate the malfunction, local media reported.
Despite this setback, India has made major strides in space exploration. In 2014, ISRO became the first Asian agency to place a spacecraft in orbit around Mars. Last year, it became the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the Moon, joining the ranks of Russia, the US and China.
ISRO has launched satellites for several countries and continues to play an increasingly prominent role in the global space sector.
