ISRO’s PSLV-C62 makes 1st launch of 2026 with EOS-N1 satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday kicked off its launch calendar for 2026 with the successful liftoff of the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite, also known as Anwesha, aboard the PSLV-C62 rocket.

The satellite was launched on the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle at 10:17 am IST from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.

“Liftoff! PSLV-C62 launches the EOS-N1 Mission from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota,” ISRO said in a post on X.

The EOS-N1 mission is aimed at strengthening India’s remote sensing capabilities, with applications in agriculture, urban planning and environmental monitoring. The mission also carries 15 co-passenger satellites, all of which are planned to be injected into Sun-Synchronous Orbit.

ISRO said the mission will also demonstrate the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID), a prototype re-entry capsule developed by a Spanish startup. The KID capsule will be the last co-passenger to be deployed before undertaking a controlled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, with a planned splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean.

The PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission marks the ninth dedicated commercial launch undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm. It is also the fifth mission using the PSLV-DL configuration, which features two solid strap-on boosters.

With this flight, PSLV has completed 64 launches, having powered several landmark missions including Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1 and Astrosat. In 2017, the launcher set a world record by deploying 104 satellites in a single mission.

ISRO’s previous launch attempt, PSLV-C61, took place in May when the agency attempted to place the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite into a 505-km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit. While the initial phases of that mission were successful, a technical anomaly in the rocket’s third stage prevented the satellite from reaching its intended orbit.

With IANS inputs