In a dramatic turn of events, India’s PSLV-C62 mission on January 12, 2026, ended in failure after a third-stage anomaly prevented orbital insertion, jeopardising all 16 satellites onboard.
Among the payloads was EOS-N1 (Anvesha), India’s Earth observation satellite, alongside several international rideshare missions.
Against expectations, Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm’s Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID) capsule survived the mishap. The 25-kg football-sized prototype separated from the rocket’s fourth stage, activated autonomously, and transmitted over three minutes of telemetry data.
Designed to test reusable re-entry technology, the capsule endured extreme heat and deceleration forces before splashdown in the South Pacific. Its survival marks a milestone for private space ventures, offering rare off-nominal data that could accelerate development of Orbital Paradigm’s full-scale Kestrel capsule.
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed that investigations are underway into the third-stage deviation, with implications for upcoming flagship missions such as Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan-4.
While the PSLV setback is a rare blemish on India’s otherwise reliable launch record, the unexpected success of the KID capsule provides a silver lining for international collaboration in space exploration.
