Isro PSLV-C62 highlights: Mission fails, satellites lost

The morning Sun at Sriharikota held the promise of a triumphant new year. On January 12 at 10:18 am IST, the Earth trembled as the PSLV-C62 roared into the sky, riding a pillar of fire towards the edge of the atmosphere.

For the first eight minutes, the mission was a textbook display of precision, a silent, soaring testament to years of engineering.

The 62nd mission of the PSLV rocket failed to deploy satellites into orbit due to technical glitches in the third stage.

A heavy gloom has descended upon the Mission Control Centre at Sriharikota as the ghosts of 2025 return to haunt India’s space program.

In a heart-wrenching twist of fate, the PSLV-C62 mission encountered a critical performance anomaly during the final moments of its third-stage (PS3) burn. Just as the nation was celebrating a perfect liftoff, telemetry screens suddenly showed a terrifying deviation in the flight path, with the vehicle's altitude and velocity dropping far below nominal levels.

The primary payload, DRDO's strategic "eye in the sky" Anvesha, along with 15 pioneering satellites from startups across India, Nepal, and Spain, are now feared to have been lost to the atmosphere, potentially ending India's first mission of 2026 in tragedy.

"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," Isro chief V Narayanan confirmed.

The PSLV-C62 mission has failed to place satellites into orbit. 

The fourth stage (PS4) of the PSLV-C62 is currently performing a delicate "orbital dance" in the vacuum of space.

Having successfully navigated the atmosphere, the vehicle is now using its liquid-fuelled engines to fine-tune its velocity for the final injection. The primary payload, EOS-N1 (Anvesha), is seconds away from being pushed into its 505 km Sun-Synchronous Orbit, where it will begin its mission as India's premier hyperspectral "eye in the sky."

In the mission control bunker, silence has fallen as scientists wait for the telemetry that confirms "separation," a signal that will officially mark the success of India's first space odyssey of 2026.

The high-performance solid third stage of the PSLV rocket has successfully separated. This was the exact component that caused heartbreak in 2025. Today, it performed flawlessly, handing over the mission to the fourth stage with a "textbook" velocity of 5,688 meters per second.

The high-performance solid third stage (HPS3) has completed its burn and separated. This was a "must-watch" moment for engineers, and its success marks a major relief for the mission control team.

The high-performance solid third stage (HPS3) has completed its burn and separated. This was a "must-watch" moment for engineers, and its success marks a major relief for the mission control team.

The liquid-fuelled second stage has completed its burn. All pressure parameters remained stable, proving the rigorous quality checks implemented after the 2025 anomaly were successful.

At an altitude of 116 km, the protective "nose cone" has been jettisoned. The Anvesha satellite and its 15 global passengers are now exposed to space for the first time as the rocket sheds unnecessary weight.

Telemetry confirms the twin solid strap-on motors have exhausted their fuel and separated. The core stage is now pushing the vehicle toward the upper atmosphere at supersonic speeds.

A tiny satellite from Brazil, the Orbital Temple, is ready to go. It carries the names of over 14,000 people stored in its memory, designed to perpetually broadcast a message from orbit: “Today, your name ascended, and there it remains.”

Hyderabad-based MOI-1 is now live and communicating. Carrying the world’s lightest space telescope, it allows users to rent AI processing power in space for real-time disaster analysis.

Automatic Launch Sequence initiated, computer in launch control center has taken command of PSLV. 

Here are the first pictures of the EOS-N1 Anvesha satellite developed by DRDO. 

A major talking point today is AayulSAT by Bengaluru-based startup OrbitAID. In a world-first attempt for a small satellite, it will test an Isro-certified docking interface designed for "space gas stations," aiming to prove that India can lead the future of sustainable, refuelable satellite constellations.

Isro ground teams have successfully completed the high-pressure loading of the liquid propellant stages. Isro engineers are now conducting a final thermal "soak" of the Vikas engines, ensuring the hardware is ready for the violent transition from Earth's gravity to the vacuum of space.

Isro has completed propellant loading on all stages of PSLV. The PSLV is a four-stage rocket. 

There are signs of rain in Sriharikota, but Isro says it will not hamper the PSLV-C62 launch at 10:18 am IST. 

Ground teams have completed the final pressurisation of the liquid propellant stages. The 44.4-meter-tall PSLV-DL is now a high-pressure powerhouse, and Isro engineers are monitoring the thermal stabilisation of the Vikas engines. This is the last manual hurdle before Isro hands over the mission to the onboard computers.