SRIHARIKOTA, Jan 12: The Indian Space Research Organisation has launched a detailed investigation into a technical anomaly that hit the PSLV-C62 mission shortly after its lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Monday. The incident occurred near the conclusion of the rocket’s third stage, leading to a noticeable deviation from its planned trajectory.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan confirmed that while the initial phases of the flight proceeded as expected, issues emerged during the transition toward the final stages of the launch. The mission was carrying the EOS-N1 earth observation satellite, a primary payload designed for strategic surveillance, alongside several smaller co-passenger satellites for various international and domestic clients.
“The performance of the vehicle up to the end of the third stage was as expected,” Narayanan stated following the launch. He explained that as the third stage neared its completion, mission control observed unusual disturbances in the vehicle’s roll rates, which subsequently caused the flight path to shift.
This latest setback follows a similar challenge faced in May of last year during the PSLV-C61 mission, which also encountered anomalies in its third stage. Data from ground stations is currently being analyzed to pinpoint the exact cause of the disturbance, with the space agency promising a full report once the technical review is finished.
