Indian PSLV rocket goes off track after liftoff

BENGALURU: An Indian rocket carrying 16 payloads, including an earth observation satellite, went off track shortly after liftoff on Monday, dealing another setback to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The PSLV-C62 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10:18am local time, carrying the EOS-N1 earth surveillance satellite along with 15 other payloads developed by startups and academic institutions from India and abroad.

ISRO said the rocket performed normally for most of the mission, but an unexpected disturbance occurred near the end of the PS3 stage, causing a deviation from its intended flight path.

“The PSLV-C62 mission encountered an anomaly during the end of the PS3 stage. A detailed analysis has been initiated,” ISRO said in a statement, without disclosing further details about the cause or the rocket’s final trajectory.

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This marks the second disappointment for the PSLV in about eight months, affecting its long-standing reputation for reliability, built on a success rate of over 90 percent across nearly 60 previous missions.

The PSLV has been a cornerstone of India’s space programme, having launched major missions including Chandrayaan-1 and the Aditya-L1 solar observatory. It also plays a key role in India’s efforts to expand private sector participation in space manufacturing and satellite launches.