‘During the functioning…’: Here's why ISRO's EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished - Chief V Narayanan explains

On Sunday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its 101st satellite, EOS-09, but the mission “could not be accomplished”.

In a post on X, ISRO said, “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.”

Why ISRO's EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished?

The flight sequence of the PSLV-C-61 consists of various stages, starting from Ignition of PS1 and PSOM at the ground, to separation of various sections to finally the separation of the satellite from the rocket.

According to the ISRO chief, the problem was detected at the third stage, which is a solid rocket motor which provides the upper stage with a high thrust after the atmospheric phase the launch. This stage has a maximum thrust of 240 Kilonewtons.

This was ISRO's 101st launch, in which they launched the Earth Orbiting Satellite, also known as EOS-09, which was supposed to be put in a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO).

Explaining the reason, the ISRO Chief stated, “The EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished. The PSLV, a four-stage launch vehicle, performed normally up to the second stage. The third stage motor ignited as expected, but during its operation, we noticed an anomaly.”

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During the functioning of the third stage, we are seeing an observation and the mission could not be accomplished. After analysis, we shall come back, he added.

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EOS-09 equipped with its payload - Synthetic Aperture Radar - has been designed to provide continuous and reliable remote sensing data for operational applications across sectors, ISRO said.

The original plan for the EOS-09 mission involved deploying the satellite after using Orbit Change Thrusters (OCT) to lower the altitude of the PS4 stage. This would then be followed by passivation — a process intended to reduce the orbital lifespan of the stage, supporting responsible and sustainable space practices.

EOS-09 was designed to provide consistent and reliable remote sensing data to support various operational sectors.

Importantly, this mission also emphasised sustainability, as the satellite was equipped with deorbiting fuel to enable its safe disposal after the mission, reflecting ISRO’s commitment to responsible space operations.

(With inputs from ANI)