ISRO's PSLV suffers second consecutive failure as third stage anomaly dooms commercial mission

India's Space Research Organisation has grounded its flagship launch vehicle after a second consecutive mission failure, casting doubt on the country's ambitions to become a low-cost commercial launch provider. The PSLV-C62 mission, which lifted off carrying 15 international payloads, ended in failure when the rocket's third stage experienced a "disturbance" that sent the vehicle off course, preventing it from reaching the intended orbit.

The loss marks a troubling pattern for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which had built a reputation for reliability over 64 flights since 1993, with 58 successful missions. However, the last two launches—PSLV-C61 in May 2025 and now PSLV-C62—have both failed due to third-stage issues. ISRO Director Doctor V. Narayanan confirmed the anomaly during the live launch stream, describing a disturbance followed by a flight path deviation that mirrored the previous failure.

Commercial Stakes and Payload Loss

This mission carried significant commercial freight, including the Theos-2 Earth Observation satellite, a joint UK-Thailand project, and AyulSat, a technology demonstration mission for in-orbit refueling. All were lost when the rocket failed to achieve orbital velocity. The financial impact extends beyond the payloads themselves—India has positioned itself as a cost-effective alternative to established launch providers like SpaceX and Arianespace, and repeated failures threaten that value proposition.

The PSLV-DL variant used for this mission employs two external solid boosters, a configuration that has served ISRO well in previous launches. The third stage, a solid rocket motor, is typically the workhorse of the vehicle's ascent profile. That two consecutive missions have encountered similar third-stage anomalies suggests ISRO may need to investigate manufacturing consistency, propellant quality control, or design modifications.

One Survivor in the Chaos

Amid the wreckage, one payload emerged as an unlikely success story. The KID Capsule, built by French company Orbital Paradigm, survived the failed mission and transmitted valuable telemetry during its harrowing descent back to Earth. The experimental craft is designed to demonstrate commercial reentry capabilities for products manufactured in space—a niche Orbital Paradigm believes is underserved despite abundant launch capacity.

According to LinkedIn posts from the company, KID experienced conditions far beyond its design parameters. The capsule separated from the rocket's fourth stage at Mach 20, enduring 28g of force—nearly double the nominal scenario—and a reentry angle of -20° instead of the planned -5°. Despite this, the capsule's thermal management system kept internal temperatures between 15°C and 30°C throughout the descent, and it transmitted telemetry for 190 seconds.

"KID was tested beyond its design envelope, and it worked," the company stated. "Separation, power-on, and data transmission, even after reentry, all performed well despite degraded conditions." Orbital Paradigm reported achieving 4 out of 5 launch milestones through what it called an "off-nominal profile," though the failure to deliver customer data prevented declaring full mission success.

Pattern Recognition

The consecutive failures raise questions about ISRO's quality control and testing procedures. The PSLV has been India's workhorse for three decades, launching everything from domestic satellites to interplanetary missions like the Mars Orbiter Mission. Its reputation for reliability and affordability helped India capture a growing share of the small satellite launch market.

However, the space industry has become increasingly competitive. SpaceX's Falcon 9 dominates with frequent launches and high reliability, while new entrants like Rocket Lab offer dedicated small-sat launches. ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited, has been marketing PSLV's proven track record and competitive pricing to international customers. Two consecutive failures will likely force a reassessment of that pitch.

Broader Implications for India's Space Program

The timing is particularly awkward for ISRO's ambitious Gaganyaan program, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space using the LVM3 rocket. The agency has planned three uncrewed Gaganyaan missions for 2026, but the LVM3—while flawless through nine flights—shares some design heritage with the PSLV's upper stages. ISRO will need to demonstrate that it has identified and resolved the third-stage issues before risking crewed missions.

India's space ambitions extend beyond human spaceflight. The country has delayed its planned space station and moon base by five years, pushing those goals into the 2030s. Establishing reliable launch capability is fundamental to all these plans. The PSLV failures don't directly impact the LVM3's track record, but they do raise broader questions about ISRO's manufacturing and quality assurance processes across its rocket family.

What Comes Next

ISRO has initiated an investigation into the PSLV-C62 failure, and the agency will need to provide convincing answers to both domestic stakeholders and international customers. The organization has weathered setbacks before—India's early satellite launch attempts in the 1970s and 80s faced multiple failures before the PSLV program established its reputation.

For Orbital Paradigm, the failed launch provided an unexpected but valuable test of their reentry capsule's robustness. While the company didn't deliver the customer data it promised, it proved that KID can survive conditions far beyond its design limits. That resilience data may prove more valuable than the original mission objectives.

The broader commercial space industry will watch closely to see how ISRO responds. The agency has built strong international partnerships and a reputation for pragmatic, cost-effective space access. Restoring confidence will require transparent analysis of the third-stage issues and demonstrable fixes before the PSLV returns to flight.

India's space program has shown remarkable resilience and innovation, from the Chandrayaan lunar missions to its recent achievement in satellite docking. The PSLV's stumble is a serious but likely temporary setback. The question is whether ISRO can diagnose and fix the recurring third-stage problem quickly enough to maintain its position in an increasingly competitive commercial launch market.