Hours after ISRO’s PSLV-C61 mission failed to meet its objectives due to a pressure drop in the third stage, ISRO's former chairman Dr S Somanath addressed the incident on X with a message rooted in experience and resolve.
“Dear Colleagues, We encountered a setback today during the #PSLVC61 mission. Yet, true to its indomitable spirit, @ISRO will swiftly assemble its finest minds to dissect the anomaly and chart a meticulous course forward. I am aware of the formidable challenges we faced during the development of the third-stage solid motor -- an endeavour marked by multiple failures. It is indeed unusual to witness such anomalies resurfacing at this stage. Nevertheless, I have complete confidence that the team will identify the root cause both swiftly and effectively,” Somanath wrote.
Somanath’s post comes at a moment when the space agency is regrouping after a failure.
What exactly happened
The PSLV, one of ISRO’s most trusted launch vehicles, lifted off from Sriharikota at 5:59am as scheduled. But the mission, carrying an earth observation satellite, could not be accomplished after a fall in chamber pressure during the rocket's third stage.
In his message, Somanath reflected on the role of failures in shaping ISRO’s legacy:
“Over the years, such challanges have only strengthened our conviction that failure is never defeat, but rather a formidable tutor. Every towering success of ISRO has been forged in the crucible of adversity -- shaped by lessons deeply learnt and courageously applied.”
The third stage of the PSLV uses a solid motor, and its development, Somanath pointed out, had not been without obstacles. His comments underline how even mature systems can present surprises — and how ISRO’s culture has been built to learn from them.
“Setbacks have ever served to refine our resolve and deepen our scientific rigour. Nothing shall deter our pursuit of knowledge, which we carry forward with characteristic poise and unwavering precision,” he concluded.
"Today we targeted the 101st launch from Sriharikota, the PSLV-C61 EOS-09 mission. The PSLV is a four-stage vehicle and up to the second stage, the performance was normal. The third stage motor started perfectly but during the functioning of the third stage we are seeing an observation and the mission could not be accomplished," ISRO chairman V. Narayanan said earlier on X.
EOS-09, which was a repeat satellite of EOS-04 launched in 2022, carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload intended for all-weather, day-and-night earth imaging. The data from this satellite was expected to aid sectors like agriculture, forestry, urban planning, disaster response and national security. The mission was also intended to be debris-free, with fuel reserved for de-orbiting the satellite after its operational life, to ensure its decay within two years.