ISRO Completes PSLV-C61 Mission Failure Analysis, Report to be Submitted to PM

quick Summary

• Event: The failure analysis of the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission, launched in May 2025, has been completed.
• Mission Details: The Polar satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C61 aimed to place the EOS-09 satellite into a sun-synchronous polar orbit but failed due to an issue during the third stage of its flight.
• Findings: ISRO identified “a fall in chamber pressure in the motor case” as the primary cause of failure and formed a committee to investigate further.
• Report Update: ISRO chairman V. Narayanan stated that a final report will soon be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as addressing what he termed a “small problem.”
• Outlook for Future Missions: Despite this setback, Mr. Narayanan expressed complete confidence in future PSLV launches slated for later in 2025, wiht preparations underway for another mission within three months.
• PSLV Reliability: This was the 63rd PSLV flight and utilized its ‘XL’ configuration for the 27th time.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The recent setback involving India’s trusted workhorse PSLV reflects important operational challenges despite decades-long success by ISRO. While such failures are rare given PSLV’s historically high reliability rate, identifying specific anomalies ensures operational openness and strengthens future launch readiness.

The chairman’s assurance about upcoming missions inspires public confidence while underscoring ISRO’s commitment to continuous betterment. Moreover, timely submission of findings emphasizes accountability at higher levels-a necessary step for maintaining India’s global credibility in space exploration.This event is also an prospect to reflect on India’s technological resilience; early identification of issues enables refinements critical for ambitious projects like Chandrayaan or Gaganyaan missions on ISRO’s roadmap.

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