Earth Observation Satellite EOS-09 Launch Unsuccessful Despite Smooth Lift-Off
Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), May 18 – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faced a setback on Sunday as its 101st mission from Sriharikota failed to meet its objectives due to an anomaly in the third stage of the launch vehicle. The mission involved launching the Earth observation satellite EOS-09 aboard the trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61).The PSLV rocket lifted off precisely at 5:59 a.m. as scheduled, and its first and second stages performed nominally. However, during the third stage of flight—powered by a solid motor system—a significant drop in chamber pressure was observed, leading to mission failure.
“Today we targeted the 101st launch from Sriharikota, the PSLV-C61 EOS-09 mission. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but during its functioning, we observed a fall in chamber pressure and the mission could not be accomplished,” said ISRO Director Narayanan following the launch.
Mission Aimed at Enhanced Earth Observation
EOS-09 was developed as a follow-up to EOS-04, launched in 2022, and was designed to supply vital remote sensing data to a range of operational applications. Equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), the satellite was intended to deliver high-resolution images in all weather conditions, both day and night.The SAR payload held the potential to significantly benefit areas such as:
- Agriculture and forestry monitoring
- Disaster response and management
- Urban planning
- National security surveillance
Focus on Space Debris Mitigation
In line with ISRO’s commitment to sustainable space operations, the PSLV-C61 mission was designed to be debris-free. Scientists had allocated enough fuel for de-orbiting the satellite post-mission, ensuring that it would re-enter Earth’s atmosphere within two years to minimize space debris.Despite the failure, ISRO confirmed that a detailed analysis of the third-stage anomaly is underway. “We are studying the entire performance, we shall come back at the earliest,” added Narayanan, assuring continued commitment to the agency’s space exploration and Earth observation goals.