Failure analysis on PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission completed, report to be submitted to PM soon: ISRO chairman V. Narayanan

The failure analysis committee has pinpointed the problem that caused the failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C61/Earth Observation Satellite-09 (PSLV-C61/EOS-09) mission in May 2025, V. Narayanan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said on Friday (August 1, 2025).

The analysis is over and the committee’s report will shortly be handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Narayanan said on the sidelines of a programme at the CSIR-National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Mr. Narayanan described the problem as a “small” one, but said he can reveal the details only after the report is submitted to the Prime Minister.

The PSLV-C61/EOS-09 had a perfect lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on May 18 this year. The mission objective was to place the EOS-09 satellite in a sun-synchronous polar orbit. However, the mission failed to achieve its objective, causing an unusual setback for the space agency with the PSLV, often described as its trusted workhorse for its reliability.

Immediately afterwards, ISRO had stated that the “PSLV-C61 performance was normal till second stage. Due to an observation in the third stage, the mission could not be accomplished.”

Speaking to the media after the mission, Mr. Narayanan had said that “a fall in chamber pressure in the motor case” had led to the glitch. Subsequently, a failure analysis committee was constituted to track down the problem.

On Friday, Mr. Narayanan said he was “100% confident” about upcoming PSLV missions, of which a number are planned for 2025.

ISRO is planning to have the next PSLV mission in three months’ time, he said. “We are in the process of preparing for the next PSLV launch,” he said.

The PSLV-C61 flight marked the 63rd one of this launch vehicle and the 27th using its ‘XL’ configuration.