Rare Setback for ISRO: EOS-09 Satellite Fails To Reach Orbit After PSLV-C61 Launch Issues

In a rare setback for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the launch of its 101st satellite, EOS-09, aboard the PSLV-C61 rocket ended unsuccessfully on Sunday, May 18. The mission, which took off at 5:59 AM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, was terminated after the rocket encountered an anomaly during its third stage.

Today 101st launch was attempted, PSLV-C61 performance was normal till 2nd stage. Due to an observation in 3rd stage, the mission could not be accomplished.

— ISRO (@isro) May 18, 2025

Third Stage Glitch Disrupts Mission

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61), which had performed nominally through the first two stages, encountered unexpected behavior in the third stage, forcing ISRO to abort the mission. “The 101st launch was attempted today. PSLV-C61 performance was normal till the 2nd stage. Due to an observation in the 3rd stage, the mission could not be accomplished,” the space agency said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Addressing viewers during the live broadcast, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan confirmed that the issue had arisen in the third stage, which uses a solid rocket motor meant to deliver high thrust after atmospheric exit. "We are studying the entire performance... We shall come back at the earliest," he added.

#WATCH | Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh | ISRO Chief V Narayanan says, "Today we attempted a launch of PSLV-C61 vehicle. The vehicle is a 4-stage vehicle. The first two stages performed as expected. During the 3rd stage, we are seeing observation...The mission could not be… pic.twitter.com/By7LZ8g0IZ

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2025

EOS-09: A Critical Satellite Lost

The failed mission was intended to place the EOS-09 satellite into a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO). The satellite, equipped with advanced C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology, was designed to deliver high-resolution imagery for environmental monitoring, disaster management, and resource tracking, regardless of weather or lighting conditions.

#WATCH | Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launches PSLV-C61, which carries the EOS-09 (Earth Observation Satellite-09) into a SSPO orbit, from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

EOS-09 is a repeat satellite of EOS-04, designed with the mission objective to ensure remote… pic.twitter.com/KpJ52Wge0w

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2025

The launch was notable for incorporating sustainability measures, including onboard fuel for safe satellite deorbiting. EOS-09’s loss represents a significant blow to India’s growing earth observation capabilities.

This marks the 63rd flight of a PSLV and the 27th using the PSLV-XL configuration. ISRO has launched 100 PSLV missions successfully prior to this attempt.