The back-to-back failures of India’s trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2025 have raised uncomfortable questions for the Indian space programme. For an organisation known for incremental learning and high reliability, two consecutive mission losses involving the same rocket stage are rare. Beyond the immediate technical anomaly, the episode highlights deeper issues of transparency, quality assurance, and India’s evolving commercial space ambitions.
Why the PSLV matters to India’s space ecosystem
Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the PSLV has earned the reputation of being the country’s “workhorse” launcher. It has placed dozens of Indian and foreign satellites into orbit and underpins India’s credibility as a reliable launch provider.
Its importance today goes beyond national missions. With the government pushing launch services as a commercial offering through NewSpace India Limited, PSLV reliability directly affects India’s standing in the global launch market.
What happened during the PSLV-C61 mission
The PSLV-C61 mission, launched on May 18, 2025, was meant to place the Earth-observation satellite EOS-09 into orbit. Telemetry showed that:
- The first and second stages performed as expected.
- Around 203 seconds into flight, the third stage (PS3) suffered a sudden drop in chamber pressure.
Since PS3 is a solid-fuel motor, such a pressure collapse is not a minor anomaly. It typically points to a structural failure, such as a casing breach or nozzle damage, preventing the motor from producing adequate thrust.
Why the third stage anomaly is serious
The PS3 stage is a mature and well-tested component of the PSLV. Unlike experimental upper stages, it has flown reliably for years. That is precisely why its failure is unsettling:
- Solid motors have fewer moving parts, reducing failure modes.
- A pressure leak suggests manufacturing defects, material fatigue, or quality control lapses.
- Repeated failure in a “proven” stage undermines confidence in production oversight.
For a launch vehicle marketed commercially, this raises insurance costs and reputational risks.
The unanswered questions around the FAC report
After the C61 failure, a Failure Analysis Committee submitted its report to the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the findings were not made public.
Possible reasons include:
- Protection of sensitive payload-related information.
- Commercial considerations, given PSLV’s role in global launch services.
- A desire to avoid public acknowledgment of manufacturing or quality assurance failures.
Technically, it is possible to release failure causes related to the rocket while redacting satellite-specific details. The decision not to do so has therefore drawn criticism.
How the PSLV-C62 mission failed
When the PSLV flew again on January 12, 2026 (C62 mission), the outcome was similar. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan attributed the failure to a “roll rate disturbance,” indicating that the rocket began spinning uncontrollably.
This explanation aligns with the earlier PS3 anomaly:
- The third stage has no independent roll-control thrusters.
- Stability depends on the stage above it.
- If leaking exhaust gases escaped sideways, they could generate a torque overwhelming stabilisation systems.
The recurrence strongly suggests a common underlying cause.
Transparency, return-to-flight, and institutional trust
By keeping the C61 investigation internal, ISRO avoided external scrutiny of its “return-to-flight” decision. In high-reliability sectors such as spaceflight, independent review often strengthens credibility rather than weakening it.
Launching again within eight months, without public validation of corrective measures, has now resulted in two failures instead of one — amplifying concerns about institutional learning and accountability.
What this means for India’s space ambitions
These failures do not erase ISRO’s decades-long track record. However, they underline a transition challenge:
- From a purely strategic organisation to a competitive commercial launch provider.
- From internal accountability to global transparency norms.
- From mission success narratives to open discussion of failure.
How ISRO addresses the PS3 issue — technically and institutionally — will shape confidence in India’s space programme in the coming decade.
What to note for Prelims?
- PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle used primarily for polar and low Earth orbits.
- The third stage (PS3) uses solid propellant.
- NewSpace India Limited is ISRO’s commercial arm for launch services.
What to note for Mains?
- Discuss the role of transparency in high-technology public institutions.
- Analyse how commercialisation changes risk management in space programmes.
- Examine the balance between national security, commercial interests, and public accountability.
