What happened to ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission?, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• On January 12, 2026, ISRO's PSLV-C62 mission carrying the EOS-N1 satellite and 15 co-passenger satellites encountered an anomaly during the PS3 stage.
• The rocket experienced increased roll rate disturbance and deviated from its flight path towards the end of the third stage.
• Thailand's GISTDA reported that a malfunction caused an attitude-control abnormality, preventing satellite deployment.
• The incident is similar to the PSLV-C61 mission failure on May 18, 2025, which also involved a PS3 stage anomaly.

Detailed Insights:

• The PSLV-C62 anomaly involved a roll rate disturbance late in the PS3 stage, while PSLV-C61 experienced a chamber-pressure drop in the PS3 motor casing.
• After the PSLV-C61 failure, a Failure Analysis Committee (FAC) was formed, but its report hasn't been publicly released.
• The FAC is responsible for reconstructing the events leading to a failure, identifying causes, and recommending corrective actions.
• The EOS-N1 satellite was the primary payload, with co-passengers from Thailand, the U.K., Nepal, France, Spain, Brazil, and Indian enterprises.
• PSLV-C62 marks the first instance of a PSLV failure while carrying customer satellites from both Indian and foreign entities.
• The KID payload, a reentry demonstrator, transmitted "off-nominal" data for about three minutes before the expected crash.
• GISTDA's THEOS-2A satellite was insured, but the Indian private sector payloads reportedly were not, shifting the cost of loss to the developers.

Key Concepts Involved:

• PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle): An expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by ISRO.
• Failure Analysis Committee (FAC): A committee constituted by the ISRO chairman to investigate mission failures.
• Payload: The total weight of satellites and experimental equipment carried by a rocket or spacecraft.