Why in the News
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s first launch of 2026, the PSLV-C62 mission, failed to place 16 satellites into the intended orbit on 12 January 2026. This marks the second consecutive failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO’s most reliable launch vehicle for over three decades.
About PSLV-C62 Mission
- Launch Vehicle: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
- Payload: 16 satellites
- Includes 7 foreign satellites
- Mission outcome: Failed to reach intended orbit
- Failure stage: Third stage (after successful completion of first two stages)
Why the Failure Matters
- PSLV is known as ISRO’s workhorse, with a long record of success since the 1990s.
- This is the second straight PSLV failure, the first occurring in May 2025.
- Consecutive failures raise concerns about reliability in the third stage, a critical phase of orbital insertion.
Possible Cause of Failure
- Exact cause not yet identified.
- Based on the May 2025 failure, issues may relate to:
- Drop in combustion chamber pressure in the third stage motor
- Reduced thrust leads to insufficient acceleration needed to stabilise orbit
- The Failure Analysis Committee report of the previous mission has not been made public.
Why the Third Stage is Critical
- The third stage provides high acceleration required to:
- Maintain orbital velocity
- Prevent premature orbital decay
- Any pressure or thrust instability at this stage directly impacts mission success.
PSLV: Four-Stage Configuration (Prelims Focus)
- First Stage
- Solid propellant
- Provides lift-off and overcomes gravity and atmospheric drag
- Carries rocket to ~50–60 km altitude
- Second Stage
- Liquid propellant
- Improves velocity and stabilisation
- Third Stage
- Solid motor
- Provides rapid acceleration for orbital insertion
- Most failure-prone stage in recent missions
- Fourth Stage
- Liquid engines
- Fine-tunes orbit and deploys satellites
Prelims Pointers
- PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle.
- Recent PSLV failures occurred during the third stage.
- Combustion chamber pressure is critical for orbital velocity.
- PSLV has been operational for over 30 years.
- ISRO has not yet released the Failure Analysis Committee report for the 2025 failure.
| [2018] With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements:
1. PSLVs launch the satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites 2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth 3. GSLV Mk III is a four-stage launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors, and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 2 (d) 3 only |
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