Claim:
India’s space agency ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) successfully placed its EOS-9 Earth observation satellite into orbit via the PSLV-C61 rocket.
Fact Check: False
Despite public anticipation and a strong record of successful launches, ISRO’s mission to deploy the EOS-9 satellite ended in failure. The PSLV-C61 rocket encountered a critical technical issue during its third stage, which led to the satellite failing to reach its intended orbit.
What Went Wrong?
The PSLV-C61 launch took place on Sunday morning from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Initial stages of the launch progressed as planned. However, during the third stage — a crucial phase where the rocket is meant to propel the satellite closer to its target orbit — a drop in chamber pressure was detected.
This unexpected fall in pressure within the motor casing compromised the rocket’s thrust, resulting in mission failure. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan officially confirmed the incident, adding that a full investigation is underway to understand the cause.
Background & Context:
- EOS-9 is an Earth observation satellite designed for surveillance and data collection.
- PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is India’s most reliable satellite launch vehicle, with over 90% success rate since its debut in the 1990s.
- This is the third failure in PSLV’s history, the earlier ones being in 1993 and one partial failure later.
- Despite the setback, ISRO remains one of the most cost-effective and reliable space agencies in the world.
India’s space program has gained worldwide respect after key milestones such as:
- 2014: Successfully sent a satellite to Mars on its first attempt.
- 2023: Became the fourth country to land on the Moon, following the US, Russia, and China.
Expert Insight:
A Failure Analysis Committee will be formed to examine the PSLV-C61 malfunction in detail. Until then, further launches may be scrutinized more closely for similar issues. ISRO has also assured the public that future missions will proceed with heightened caution.
Conclusion:
The claim that ISRO successfully launched the EOS-9 satellite into orbit is false. The mission ended in failure due to a technical glitch in the third stage of the PSLV-C61 rocket. ISRO has acknowledged the issue and is conducting a thorough investigation.