ISRO's EOS-09 Satellite Launch Fails Due to Third-Stage Anomaly
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faced a setback as its PSLV-C61 mission, carrying the EOS-09 earth observation satellite, failed to deploy the satellite. ISRO Chief V Narayanan confirmed the first two stages of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle performed normally, but a technical malfunction, specifically a pressure drop, occurred in the third stage. This marks only the third failure for the historically reliable PSLV launch vehicle.
Unpacked:
A drop in chamber pressure in the third stage of the PSLV-C61 rocket led to the failure of the mission, preventing the deployment of the EOS-09 satellite. The first two stages of the rocket performed normally before this technical malfunction occurred.
This is only the third failure for the PSLV launch vehicle. The previous failures occurred during PSLV-D1 in 1993 and PSLV-C39 in 2017, making the PSLV one of the most reliable rockets in ISRO’s history.
ISRO will conduct a detailed review, including forming a Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) of experts and retired scientists. This committee will analyze flight data, launch preparations, and all associated systems to determine the root cause and recommend corrective actions.
The EOS-09 satellite was designed to enhance the frequency and reliability of remote sensing data. It carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload to provide high-resolution images even in cloudy or dark conditions, aiding precision-based resource management.