New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) on Monday made the first launch of 2026 with the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite aboard its PSLV-C62 rocket.
The EOS-N1, also called the Anwesha, took off on the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at 10:17 am IST from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
“Liftoff! PSLV-C62 launches the EOS-N1 Mission from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota,” ISRO shared in a post on the social media platform X.
The launch aims to enhance India’s remote sensing capabilities across agriculture, urban mapping, and environmental monitoring.
The mission, which carries 15 co-passenger satellites, is planned for injection into Sun Synchronous Orbit.
“The PSLV-C62 mission will also demonstrate KID or Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator from a Spanish startup, which is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle being developed by the startup,” the Indian space agency shared before launch.
The KID capsule is planned for a re-entry trajectory, according to ISRO.
The KID will be the last co-passenger to be injected, after which it is slated to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere towards splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean.
The PSLV-C62 / EOS-N1 Mission is the 9th dedicated commercial mission undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO.
The launch is the fifth to use the PSLV-DL variant with two solid strap-on motors.
PSLV has completed 63 flights, including notable missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, and Astrosat Mission. In 2017, PSLV set a world record by launching 104 satellites in a single mission.
ISRO undertook the 101st launch endeavour with PSLV-C61 mission, in May, to deploy the 1,696 kg EOS-09 Earth Observation Satellite into a 505 km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit.
While the initial stages of the flight performed as expected, a technical anomaly in the rocket’s third stage prevented the mission from reaching its intended orbit.
(IANS)
