The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faced a rare setback on May 18, 2025, when its PSLV-C61 mission carrying the Earth observation satellite EOS-09 failed to complete its objective. The rocket was launched early in the morning from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. While the initial phases of the launch seemed successful, a sudden technical issue caused the mission to fall short of expectations.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that the first and second stages of the four-stage PSLV rocket operated as expected. However, a malfunction in the third stage led to a drop in pressure, which prevented the rocket from reaching the required orbit. As a result, the EOS-09 satellite could not be deployed.
The EOS-09 satellite, also known as RISAT-1B, was designed to capture high-resolution images of the Earth using a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar. Its capabilities would have allowed for accurate imaging regardless of weather conditions or lighting, making it highly useful for agricultural monitoring, forest mapping, soil moisture estimation, coastal observation, and disaster response efforts.
Following the failed mission, ISRO has formed a Failure Analysis Committee to study the anomaly in detail. The committee will examine all available data to identify the root cause of the third-stage failure and recommend corrective measures to ensure future missions are not affected by similar issues.
Despite this disappointment, ISRO remains one of the world’s most reliable and cost-effective space agencies. Its previous successes, such as the Mars Orbiter Mission in 2014 and the Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing in 2023, stand as a testament to the agency’s resilience and technological capability. The organization is expected to quickly regroup, learn from this failure, and continue pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
