ISRO’s statement: On 18th May 2025, 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. Photo by Satnews.
The Indian Space Research Organisztion’s (ISRO) PSLV-C61 rocket carrying the EOS-09 (RISAT-1B) satellite failed to achieve its intended orbit, resulting in the loss of the satellite. The launch, which was the 101st for ISRO and the 63rd for the PSLV, experienced a malfunction during the third stage of the rocket’s flight, around six minutes after lift-off. The failure is attributed to a “fall in the chamber pressure of the motor case” during the third stage.
The ISRO-manufactured Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 6.00 a.m. (local time) on Sunday, May 18, 2025. Onboard was a single 1,600 kilogram plus radar imaging reconnaissance satellite, EOS-09 (RISAT-1B), into Sun-synchronous orbit.
Among other roles, the satellite, one of a series of reconnaissance satellites built by ISRO, would have monitored India’s borders.
“The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle,” said ISRO Chairman V Narayanan later in the morning. “Up to the second stage, it was quite normal. The first stage performed perfectly, but due to an observation in the third stage, the mission could not be accomplished. After analysis, we shall come back.”