ISRO's 101st Launch Fails Due to Anomaly in Third Stage

Thiruvananthapuram, India - May 18, 2025: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its 101st satellite, EOS-O9, on Sunday aboard the PSLV-C61 rocket from the Satish Space Centre in Sriharikota, but the mission ended in failure as the third stage of the rocket experienced an unexpected issue, rendering the Earth observation satellite unable to enter orbit.

According to ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, the initial phase of the launch was successful until the second stage, but the mission faltered during the third stage due to an anomaly that occurred while the motor was in operation. Although the details of the anomaly were not disclosed, Narayanan assured that a full investigation would be conducted and the results would be made public later.

"The PSLV-C61 was intended to mark ISRO's 101st launch from Sriharikota," Narayanan stated during a press briefing. "The vehicle's first and second stages operated as expected. However, despite correct ignition of the third stage motor, an anomaly was observed during its operation. Due to this, the mission was not completed as planned."

While ISRO will not comment on the exact nature of the anomaly at present, EOS-09 satellite will have potential applications in providing high-resolution images using advanced C-band synthetic aperture radar technology. This technology is crucial for capturing all-weather and day/night imaging necessary for disaster response, agriculture, forestry, and border surveillance operations.

EOS-09's Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) design ensures constant observation conditions for the satellite, while ISRO's commitment to sustainable space operations ensured that the satellite was designed with deorbiting fuel, allowing for safe disposal post-mission. The fourth stage of the PSLV rocket would also have been used to deploy a set of Orbit Change Thrusters which would help reduce space debris risk.

ISRO will now conduct a thorough analysis into the cause of the anomaly, and although the mission did not reach its intended orbit, it is expected to learn valuable lessons from this experience that can be applied to future launches.