PSLV Suffers Second Failure, Raises Space Concerns

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), known as the country’s reliable “workhorse” rocket, has faced two failures within a year. This has raised concerns about possible technical problems, especially in its third stage, and has dealt a setback to India’s space and security plans.

On Monday, January 12, the PSLV-C62 mission failed after the rocket developed a problem near the end of its third stage, known as PS3. Due to this technical issue, the rocket went off its planned path and could not complete the mission successfully.

As a result, the main payload, EOS-N1 (Anvesha), a hyperspectral surveillance satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), was lost. This satellite was meant to strengthen India’s monitoring and defence capabilities. In addition to Anvesha, 15 smaller satellites were also lost. These included satellites belonging to international commercial customers.

The failure has come as a surprise because the PSLV has a long record of successful launches. Experts say the back-to-back problems point to the need for a detailed review of the rocket’s third-stage systems. The space agency is expected to carry out a thorough investigation to identify the cause of the anomaly and take corrective steps to restore confidence in future PSLV missions.