PSLV-C61 Failure: ISRO Names Cause of EOS-09 Setback
Why in the news
ISRO announced the end of its inquiry into the May 2025 failure of the PSLV-C61 mission. Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that a Failure Analysis Committee had identified what went wrong.
Key facts
- Mission: PSLV-C61 carrying the Earth observation satellite EOS-09.
- Date of failure: 18 May 2025.
- Target orbit: sun-synchronous polar orbit.
- Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
- What happened: lift-off and the first two stages performed as expected; a third-stage anomaly ended the mission.
Significance
- PSLV is regarded as ISRO’s most trusted and dependable launcher, with a long record across decades.
- The mishap is treated as a rare blot on ISRO’s operations.
Exam angle
- Panel that studied the cause: Failure Analysis Committee.
- ISRO head quoted: V. Narayanan.
- Failed stage: third stage of PSLV-C61.