The failure analysis committee has pinpointed the problem that caused the failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C61/Earth Observation Satellite-09 (PSLV-C61/EOS-09) mission in May 2025, V. Narayanan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said on Friday (August 1, 2025).
The analysis is over and the committee’s report will shortly be handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Narayanan said on the sidelines of a programme at the CSIR-National Institute of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
What is the PSLV?
Mr. Narayanan described the problem as a “small” one, but said he can reveal the details only after the report is submitted to the Prime Minister.
The PSLV-C61/EOS-09 had a perfect lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on May 18 this year. The mission objective was to place the EOS-09 satellite in a sun-synchronous polar orbit. However, the mission failed to achieve its objective, causing an unusual setback for the space agency with the PSLV, often described as its trusted workhorse for its reliability.
