India’s latest space mission to place a new Earth observation satellite into orbit ended in failure after the launch vehicle encountered a malfunction during its third stage, officials said on Sunday.
The satellite, named EOS-09, was launched aboard the PSLV-C61 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, located in southern India, on Sunday morning. However, the mission suffered a setback mid-flight.
“During the third stage, there was a drop in chamber pressure in the motor case, and the mission could not be accomplished,” said V. Narayanan, the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
India has been a key player in space research since the 1960s. Over the years, it has successfully launched satellites for domestic and international clients and notably placed a spacecraft in orbit around Mars in 2014 — a milestone achieved on a modest budget.
Though India’s 2019 attempt to land on the Moon was unsuccessful, the country made history in 2023 by becoming the first to land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole — a region believed to contain reserves of frozen water. That mission was widely hailed as a major technological achievement and a proud moment for the nation.
Despite Sunday’s setback, ISRO remains one of the world’s most active and ambitious space agencies, with a track record of innovation and cost-effective missions.
