Desk Correspondent , Bengaluru - The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) first space mission of 2026 encountered a significant setback on Monday after the PSLV-C62 rocket suffered a technical anomaly during its ascent. While the rocket successfully lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota carrying the EOS-N1 (Anvesha) Earth observation satellite and 14 co-passenger satellites, a disturbance was detected during the third stage of the flight. This malfunction caused the vehicle to deviate from its intended trajectory, leaving the mission's ultimate success and the deployment of its payloads unconfirmed.

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that the deviation occurred in the crucial third-stage firing phase, and telemetry data is currently being scrutinized to determine if the satellites reached any stable orbit or were lost. The mission was particularly significant as it was intended to restore the "workhorse" Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle's (PSLV) track record following a technical abort in late 2025. Among the 14 co-passenger satellites were several domestic and international payloads, including a specialized re-entry capsule demonstration from a Spanish startup.

The space agency issued a brief statement noting that they are "analysing the data" and will provide a detailed update once the exact nature of the failure is established. This incident marks a rare hurdle for the PSLV program, which has historically been one of the most reliable launch systems in the world. As scientists at Sriharikota work to establish the status of the spacecraft, the Indian space community remains on edge, awaiting confirmation on whether any part of the mission can be salvaged or if the year's inaugural launch will be classified as a total loss.