The PSLV-C62 was the 64th flight of the ISRO's PSLV and its return to flight mission following PSLV-C61. The mission was launched on 12 January 2026 with multiple payloads for customers^[2] but failed to reach orbit.^[3][4][5]

• Mass:
  • Payload weight: 1710 kg total
• Overall height: 44.4 m (146 ft)
• Propellant:
  • Boosters (PSOM-XL): Composite Solid (Solid Stage)
  • Stage 1 (S-139) : Composite Solid (Solid Stage)
  • Stage 2 (PL-40HP) : Earth Storable Liquid (Liquid Stage)
  • Stage 3 (HPS-3): Composite Solid (Solid Stage)
  • Stage 4 (L-2.5(AI)) : Earth Storable Liquid (Liquid Stage)
• Propellant mass:
  • Boosters: 12,000 kg (26,000 lb)
  • Stage 1: 139,000 kg (306,000 lb)
  • Stage 2: 41,000 kg (90,000 lb)
  • Stage 3: 7,650 kg (16,870 lb)
  • Stage 4: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb)
• Altitude:505.291 km^[6]
• Semi Major Axis: 6883.428 ± 10 km^[6]
• Inclination: 97.5 ± 0.12°^[6]
• Azimuth: 140°^[6]

The primary payload of the mission was the EOS-N1 imaging satellite built for strategic purposes by DRDO.^[7] A small 25 kg football-sized space capsule developed by the Spain-based startup Orbital Paradigm called Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID) flew on the PS-4 stage. Bengaluru-based space company OrbitAID Aerospace expected to perform an on-orbit satellite refuelling expiriment with AayulSAT.^[8] Twelve other commercial payloads totalling about 200 kg from companies and research institutions from India, Brazil, Nepal, Thailand, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom were also manifested for this flight.^[9][10][11] The PS-4 was planned to make an orbital re-entry with the KID payload attached following primary payload injection. This was ISRO's first launch attempt of 2026.^[6]

The rocket lifted off at 10:18:30 AM IST. The first and second stages performed normally during the course of flight. However, near the end of the third stage's operation, a deviation was observed in the flight controls related to its roll-rates just prior to stage separation, resulting in flight failure.^{[12][13][14][15]} The Spanish re-entry space capsule KID was the only survivor of the launch failure, as it managed to separate from the rocket and transmitted flight data for three minutes with a peak of 28 g during its non-nominal descent.^[16][17][18] It has been presumed that the vehicle achieved a suborbital trajectory of approximately -3800 x 390 km with a 98-degree inclination before plummeting roughly near 75°E, 18°S over the Southern Indian Ocean.^[19]

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan indicated that detailed analysis for the flight's failure has been initiated by ISRO, refusing additional media statements. It was also noted that a similar failure was the cause for the unsuccessful C-61 flight eight months prior.^[12][13][14]NSA director Ajit Doval visited VSSC facilities following the flight failure due to the presence of national security payload on-board,where he was given an appraisal of events by VSSC director A.Rangarajan.^[20][21]ISRO has also consulted an external agency in addition to its own Failure Anaylsis Commite,chaired by former chairman K.Sivan.^[22][21]The FAC is to submit its report to the PMO by June, with the next return to flight launch for the PSLV rocket scheduled for late-June 2026.^[23]

• List of PSLV launches
• 2026 in spaceflight