BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V Narayanan visited Tirupati Temple on Saturday ahead of the launch of the PSLV-C62 which will deploy the EOS-N1 also called as Anvesh, manufactured by Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) in space.
The launch of the satellite is slated for January 12, 2026 from the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikotta. This will be the first satellite launch in this year and with this the researchers from the ISRO are aiming to make a comeback of the PSLV after the previous setback with PSLV-C-61 in May 2025 due to a technical glitch in the third stage launch due to changes in the chamber pressure during its firing.
The Earth observation Satellite has been designed for strategic defence purposes and civilian activities like agriculture, urban areas mapping and environmental assessment.
The PSLV-C62 will be the 64th flight of the PSLV and the fifth mission of the PSLV-DL variant. The satellite has a lift off mass of 260 tonnes and stands 44.4 metres tall. It will be placed at an altitude of 505.291Km.
The mission will also include 15 co-passenger satellites from commercial and international space agencies. PSLV-C62 mission will also demonstrate Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) from a Spanish startup, which is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle being developed by the startup. The KID will be the last co-passenger to be injected, after which it is slated to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere towards splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean.
ISRO team said that the EOS-N1 and 14 co-passenger satellites will be injected into a Sun Synchronous Orbit and the KID Capsule into a re-entry trajectory. After injection of EOS-N1 and 14 satellites, fourth stage will be re-started to de-boost and enter a re-entry trajectory, followed by KID Capsule separation. Both PS4 stage and KID capsule will re-enter into Earth’s Atmosphere and impact will be in the South Pacific Ocean, the release added.