16 ISRO Satellites Lost In Space: What Exactly Happened? Answered

India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has faced another major challenge. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C62) mission, launched from Sriharikota on Monday morning, experienced a technical problem shortly after lift-off.

According to ISRO, a deviation was noticed during the rocket's third stage, which led to uncertainty about the mission's success.

ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan stated that the mission data is being carefully analyzed and further details will be released soon. However, he has not confirmed whether the mission was successful or not.

The PSLV-C62 was an important mission as it carried multiple satellites, including India's EOS-N1 and a defense satellite named Anvesha, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Deviation Detected in Third Stage

Initially, the launch appeared to go as planned. The PSLV's first and second stages performed smoothly, following the expected trajectory. However, issues began during the third stage when ISRO scientists observed a deviation in the rocket's flight path. This stage is crucial because any failure at this point often results in the mission not reaching its intended orbit.

Dr. Narayanan mentioned that the mission could not continue as expected, though he avoided calling it a total failure. Typically, an anomaly in this phase of the flight means that the payloads-satellites in this case-might not have reached their designated orbits successfully.

Setback for ISRO and Space Startups

The PSLV-C62 mission was seen as a comeback effort for ISRO after a previous launch failure in 2025, which also occurred during the third stage. The earlier incident led to the formation of a failure analysis committee, but its findings were never publicly released.

This time, the PSLV-C62 carried a total of 16 satellites, including several from private companies and foreign nations such as Brazil, Nepal, and the United Kingdom. Hyderabad-based space startup Dhruva Space had seven satellites onboard, making it one of the key participants in the mission.

If the mission is later confirmed as a failure, it would mark the fifth failed PSLV launch out of 64 attempts. While this is not considered a poor record for such a complex launch system, it is still a disappointing moment for India's space program, which has built a strong reputation for reliability.

What Happened In Space?

During the PSLV-C62 launch, everything started normally. The first and second stages of the rocket worked perfectly - these stages are responsible for pushing the rocket out of the Earth's dense atmosphere and into space.

However, when the third stage of the rocket fired, ISRO scientists noticed a technical glitch - what they called a "deviation in the trajectory." This means the rocket did not follow the exact path it was supposed to.

Because of this deviation, the rocket couldn't place the satellites in their correct orbit around Earth. When a rocket fails to reach the precise height, speed, or direction, the satellites it carries often end up in the wrong orbit or drift aimlessly in space, making them useless for communication or observation.

The PSLV-C62 was carrying 16 satellites, including India's main satellite EOS-N1, a DRDO surveillance satellite named Anvesha, and several smaller ones from private companies and foreign nations (like Brazil, Nepal, and the UK).

Because the third stage failed to perform correctly, the rocket could not separate or release these satellites properly. As a result, most - or possibly all - of them did not reach their intended orbits and are considered lost in space.

Even though they might still be physically floating in space, they can't function because they're not in the right position to communicate with Earth or perform their designed tasks (like imaging, monitoring, or communication).