Sriharikota, May 18:
A PSLV rocket carrying the Earth observation satellite EOS-09 suffered a setback on Sunday morning after it encountered an anomaly in its third stage. ISRO Chief Narayanan, while addressing the outcome, said, The ‘EOS-09 mission could not be accomplished”. ISRO’s trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is a 4-stage rocket, and the first two stages were normal, he said.
This was the 101st mission of ISRO from the Sriharikota Centre. “Today, we targeted the 101st launch from Sriharikota, the PSLVC61 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,” Narayanan said.
“After analysis, we shall come back,” he added in his brief address post the lift-off. EOS-09 is a repeat satellite similar to EOS-04, launched in 2022, that has been designed with the mission objective to ensure remote sensing data for the user community
ISRO’s 101st Satellite
engaged in operational applications and to improve the frequency of observation.
The plan was for the EOS-09 satellite to be deployed, and Orbit Change Thrusters (OCT) would be used to lower the altitude of the PS4 stage. This will be followed by passivation, a measure aimed at reducing the stage’s orbital life and ensuring responsible space operations.EOS-09 is designed to deliver continuous and reliable remote sensing data for use in various operational sectors.
Notably, this launch was also aligned with promoting sustainability and carrying out responsible space operations, as the EOS-09 is equipped with deorbiting fuel for safely disposing of it after the mission.
EOS-09 is an advanced Earth observation satellite equipped with C-band synthetic aperture radar technology. It can capture high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface under all weather conditions, day or night. This capability enhances India’s surveillance and management systems across multiple sectors. The rocket was earlier launched at a prefixed time of 5.59 am.
