LIVE UPDATES | ISRO PSLV-C62 Launch
New Delhi: India kicked off its spaceflight calendar for 2026 with a steady and successful launch as Indian Space Research Organisation sent the PSLV-C62 rocket into orbit from Sriharikota on Sunday morning. The mission placed the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite along with 14 co-passenger satellites into their designated orbits, marking a confident start to the year for the country’s space programme.
The launch was carried out from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 10:18 am, a minute later than the scheduled time. The mission is being executed by NewSpace India Limited, highlighting ISRO’s growing focus on commercial launches and international partnerships.
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Smooth liftoff, clean separation
The 260-tonne PSLV-C62 lifted off flawlessly, drawing applause from mission control as all four stages performed as expected. About 17 minutes after launch, the rocket injected its payloads into sun-synchronous orbit, ticking off the primary mission objectives without a hitch.
At the heart of the mission was EOS-N1, a high-resolution Earth observation satellite developed through a collaboration between Thailand and the United Kingdom. Designed for advanced imaging, the satellite will support applications ranging from environmental monitoring to urban planning.
14 co-passenger satellites onboard
Alongside EOS-N1, PSLV-C62 carried 14 smaller satellites for a mix of domestic and international customers. These secondary payloads reflect the growing demand for cost-effective rideshare missions, where multiple operators share a single launch to reach orbit.
ISRO officials confirmed that all co-passenger satellites were successfully deployed, reinforcing PSLV’s reputation as a reliable workhorse for small and medium satellite launches.
KID capsule re-entry experiment explained
The final phase of the mission features a rare re-entry technology demonstration involving the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator, or KID. The 25-kg capsule belongs to a Spanish startup and is designed to test controlled atmospheric re-entry and recovery techniques.
For this, ISRO scientists will restart the rocket’s fourth stage (PS4) nearly two hours after liftoff to perform a precise de-boost manoeuvre. Once released, both the PS4 stage and the KID capsule are expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down in the South Pacific Ocean, providing valuable data for future reusable and recovery-based missions.
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First launch of 2026 sets the tone
This mission marks ISRO’s first launch of 2026 and comes at a time when the agency is pushing hard on commercial services, advanced technologies, and international collaborations. It also follows recent scientific milestones, including insights from Aditya-L1 on how solar storms impact Earth’s magnetic field.
As PSLV-C62 closes out its operations in space, the successful launch underlines India’s steady momentum in the global space sector—quietly efficient, technically sharp, and increasingly commercial.
