By Gitika Sharma
India’s aspirations opened the calendar for 2026 with one of its most anticipated missions, launching PSLV-C62 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on January 12, 2026, at about 10:18 AM IST. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), or ISRO’s workhorse rocket, was slated to move a variety of payloads, including ground-breaking Earth observation satellite EOS-N1 (Anvesha) and a lineup of co-passenger satellites launched by startups, academia, and international customers.
The payload EOS-N1 uses hyperspectral imaging technology to capture Earth’s surface in very fine spectral bands. Such capacity also goes for a number of applications for agriculture, for environmental analyses, for border monitoring and relief from natural disasters. There were even satellites on flight with EOS-N1, with AI imaging payloads including technology demonstrators, proving the extent to which Indian private companies are beginning to appear in space.
On top of this technical beauty the mission could feature demonstration payloads like the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) capsule and OrbitAID’s AayulSAT, developed to test interface with in-orbit refuelling, an industry milestone that could fuel satellite life moving forward.
But what began as a hopeful liftoff quickly devolved into turbulence. This rocket performed nominally during the first two phases of this mission, but there was an error in the third stage (PS3) that impacted the flight plan. Early claims indicated that this deviation had intercepted the satellites’ insertion into their assigned Sun-Synchronous Orbit, and so their fate was uncertain. ISRO responded by starting a deep dive investigative and analytical investigation to understand the cause behind the failure.
Although the agency is not releasing an official report, a recent PSLV anomaly in 2025 left the booster questioning whether it would work effectively during this phase and called for a technical investigation by the agency. ISRO continues to be one of the largest global leaders in satellite launches despite the setback: in maintaining a delicate balance of pioneering, futuristic equipment, together with technical know-how gained during complex launches, it has had a chance to demonstrate its importance.
Results emanating from the PSLV-C62 investigation would certainly influence the upcoming launches and efforts to consolidate India’s position in the space sector in 2026 and beyond.