Indian space agency’s satellite mission fails in yet another setback for the country

NEW DELHI: India’s latest Earth observation satellite mission ended in failure on Sunday after a malfunction occurred during the third stage of the launch, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed.

According to Indian media, the EOS-09 satellite was launched aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, southern India. Initially, the mission seemed to be running smoothly, but then by the third launch stage, it encountered trouble mid-flight.

“During the third stage of the flight, there was a drop in chamber pressure in the motor case. As a result, the mission could not be accomplished,” ISRO Director V Narayanan said.

The setback marks a failure for ISRO, despite its reputation for cost-effective and reliable space missions. The agency has been active in space exploration since the 1960s, and has launched satellites for both domestic and international clients.

In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a satellite in orbit around Mars. Despite a failed lunar landing attempt in 2019, ISRO made history in 2023 by successfully landing a spacecraft near the Moon’s south pole.

ISRO officials have not yet announced the cause of the failure or a timeline for a potential reattempt. Investigations into the anomaly are underway.

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