The failure analysis committee has pinpointed the issue that precipitated the failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C61/Earth Observation Satellite-09 (PSLV-C61/EOS-09) mission in May 2025, V. Narayanan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), mentioned on Friday (August 1, 2025).
The analysis is over and the committee’s report will shortly be handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Narayanan mentioned on the sidelines of a programme on the CSIR-National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Mr. Narayanan described the issue as a “small” one, however mentioned he can reveal the main points solely after the report is submitted to the Prime Minister.
The PSLV-C61/EOS-09 had an ideal lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on May 18 this 12 months. The mission goal was to place the EOS-09 satellite tv for pc in a sun-synchronous polar orbit. However, the mission failed to obtain its goal, inflicting an uncommon setback for the area company with the PSLV, usually described as its trusted workhorse for its reliability.
Immediately afterwards, ISRO had acknowledged that the “PSLV-C61 performance was normal till second stage. Due to an observation in the third stage, the mission could not be accomplished.”
Speaking to the media after the mission, Mr. Narayanan had mentioned that “a fall in chamber pressure in the motor case” had led to the glitch. Subsequently, a failure analysis committee was constituted to observe down the issue.
On Friday, Mr. Narayanan mentioned he was “100% confident” about upcoming PSLV missions, of which a quantity are deliberate for 2025.
ISRO is planning to have the subsequent PSLV mission in three months’ time, he mentioned. “We are in the process of preparing for the next PSLV launch,” he mentioned.
The PSLV-C61 flight marked the 63rd considered one of this launch automobile and the twenty seventh utilizing its ‘XL’ configuration.
