ISRO’s 101st Major Rocket Launch Takes Off, But Satellite Lost Minutes After Liftoff

ISRO launched its 101st satellite, EOS-09, on Sunday aboard the PSLV-C61 rocket. The rocket lifted off without a hitch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, but just minutes into the flight, a technical problem arose, and the satellite couldn’t make it to its planned orbit.

According to ISRO, the PSLV performed normally through its first and second stages. But an anomaly in the third stage brought the mission to a halt. “Today 101st launch was attempted. PSLV-C61 performance was normal till 2nd stage. Due to an observation in 3rd stage, the mission could not be accomplished,” the space agency said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

ISRO Chairman acknowledged the issue and said a detailed analysis is underway. “We will come back after analysis,” he said.

This mission marked the 63rd flight of the PSLV rocket and the 27th using its more powerful XL variant. Despite the failure, the launch carried a strong message of sustainability. EOS-09 was designed with deorbiting fuel, so it could safely leave orbit at the end of its mission—a step toward ISRO’s commitment to cleaner, more responsible space operations.

It was also a highly advanced Earth observation satellite, equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar that could capture detailed images of the Earth’s surface, even in bad weather or at night.

It was designed to take high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface, regardless of weather or time of day. The data it collected would have been used in agriculture, forestry, disaster management, and even military surveillance.

On Saturday, ahead of the launch, scientist Dr. W. Selvamurthy highlighted the importance of the satellite and praised ISRO’s efforts. “EOS-09 is part of a satellite constellation that helps monitor changes on Earth — from agriculture to military applications. I congratulate the scientists, technicians, and all those involved in this important mission,” he said.

Back in Sriharikota, families and space enthusiasts had traveled long distances hoping to witness the historic launch in person. However, due to security concerns linked to India-Pakistan tensions, public viewing was restricted. That left many disappointed.

“We came from Ranipet, traveled a long way to see the rocket launch, but weren’t allowed in. Still, I feel proud just being here,” a young visitor told ANI.

Another student, who had traveled 150 kilometers to witness the event, remained hopeful: “It’s a little disappointing, but I’ll come again next time. My dream is to become ISRO Chairman one day. I love space science.”

While the mission didn’t go as planned, ISRO reaffirmed its confidence in the PSLV system and its commitment to space exploration. “This mission continues the PSLV's record of delivering reliable performance across a wide range of payloads and orbits,” the agency said in a statement.