Are 16 satellites lost in space after Isro’s PSLV rocket faces glitch?

Are 16 satellites lost in space?

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (Isro) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), launched from Sriharikota today (January 12), has failed in the third stage. This is the second launch in a row where a PSLV rocket has failed. Isro earlier attempted to launch a rocket in May.

But what happened exactly? What do we know? How has the PSLV been Isro’s workhorse for launches? Let’s take a closer look.

Failed at third stage

The PSLV rocket, which was launched at 10.17 am, made it through the first two stages and separation. However, it ultimately failed at the third stage around eight minutes after take-off.

“The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly at the end of the PS3 stage. A detailed analysis has been initiated,” Isro wrote on social media.

The PSLV-DL, equipped with two solid strap-on motors to enhance lift capability, was carrying the EOS-N1, called Anvesha. This is an advanced Earth Observation Satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The satellite is equipped with sophisticated hyperspectral imaging technology, allowing it to capture primary colours as well as hundreds of light bands down to each pixel.

This can help the Indian government monitor anything from crop health and soil moisture to mineral and environmental mapping, urban expansion and strategic surveillance. It was also carrying 15 other satellites belonging to domestic and international firms.

These included: the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID), a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle developed by a Spanish startup which was to return to Earth’s atmosphere and touch down in the South Pacific Ocean; the MOI-1 satellite from Hyderabad-based startups TakeMe2Space and Eon Space Labs; five satellites from Brazil; an Earth observation satellite made by the UK and Thailand; and a technology demonstration satellite from Nepal. Perhaps the most impressive one was the AayulSAT, built by Bengaluru startup OrbitAID Aerospace, which was to be a “petrol pump in space”. The idea was to put these satellites into a Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit.

The MOI-1 satellite is equipped with an orbital AI image laboratory that can process data in space instead of sending everything back to Earth first. This lets users rent processing time like a “space cybercafe”, paying as little as about Rs 180 per minute for access to in-space computing. It also features MIRA, the world’s lightest space telescope (around 502 grams), made in one solid piece for sturdiness.

What went wrong

The take-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre was normal. However, the PSLV rocket began veering off its flight path during the third stage of the mission. Isro has said that it is currently examining the flight data. Agency chairman Dr V Narayanan has not announced whether the mission is a success or a failure.

“The performance of the vehicle at the end of the third stage was nominal, and then a disturbance in roll rates and a deviation in flight path was noticed. We are analysing the data, and we will come back with more updates,” Narayanan said.

A Failure Analysis Committee probe will now be constituted to identify the issue. However, it is likely that all 16 satellites failed to reach a usable orbit.

The launch of the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission was the 105th launch from Sriharikota. It was also the 64th flight of PSLV and the fifth mission of the PSLV-DL variant. It was the ninth mission undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which is Isro’s commercial arm.

This isn’t the first time a PSLV rocket has failed over the past year. In May, Isro similarly failed to launch the EOS-09 satellite aboard the PSLV-C61 after a failure in the third stage of the rocket. That mission too sought to place the Earth observation satellite in a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of about 597 kilometres.

Workhorse of Isro and why it matters

The PSLV remains Isro’s workhorse. It has been used for several landmark launches including Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1 and AstroSat. In 2017, PSLV set a world record by successfully launching 104 satellites during a single mission. The incident brings PSLV’s success rate down to 94 per cent. Since its debut in 1993, the PSLV has only had a handful of failures at launch — first in 1993 and then in 2017.

The development is sure to leave some concerned about the impact on India’s private space ecosystem. Isro has set itself the target of launching over 100 satellites in 2026. It is also eyeing the expansion of its NavIC constellation and future human spaceflight missions, and preparing for the Gaganyaan Moon Mission, which uses LVM3.

With inputs from agencies