ISRO is actively working to resolve performance issues that caused the failure of two recent missions, PSLV-C61 in May 2025 and another in January 2026. Following a design overhaul, the agency completed a ground static test of the modified solid-propellant third stage at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on November 12. Although engineers introduced an improved nozzle configuration, added sealing redundancy, and enhanced mechanical interfaces, future testing remains contingent on detailed data analysis. This cautious approach also impacts the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle schedule due to shared stage architecture.
Key points
Decisions regarding further validation tests will depend strictly on performance data ana…: Decisions regarding further validation tests will depend strictly on performance data analysis rather than the successful execution of the static test alone.
Technical adjustments to the third stage directly impact the Small Satellite Launch Vehic…: Technical adjustments to the third stage directly impact the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle because its second stage shares technological heritage.
Thoroughly validating these hardware fixes takes precedence over immediate launch targets…: Thoroughly validating these hardware fixes takes precedence over immediate launch targets to ensure long-term reliability for commercial satellite deployments.
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A rocket’s return to flight after consecutive failures is as much about restoring confidence as it is about fixing the engineering problems that caused the setbacks. For
Isro, this makes the return of the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) particularly important. But it also makes it a mission that the space agency cannot afford to rush.
The PSLV has been the backbone of India’s satellite launch programme for decades. It helped establish Isro as a reliable launch-service provider, carried out some of the country’s most important scientific missions and enabled India to emerge as a player in the global commercial launch market. Its record of reliability became one of the space agency's most valuable assets.
That record, however, has come under scrutiny following two consecutive failures involving the rocket's third stage. The latest setback, in Jan 2026, came less than eight months after the PSLV-C61 mission failed in May 2025. Both incidents have raised questions about the performance of the solid-propellant third stage (PS3), although the circumstances of the two failures were different.
India has expanded its scientific and educational infrastructure with the launch of its first-ever LED dome planetarium, situated on the University of Mysore's campus. Developed through a partnership with the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the state-of-the-art facility replaces traditional projector systems with direct LED screens to render real-time observatory data. The initiative aims to dramatically elevate public engagement with space science and boost nationwide astronomy education.
Global aerospace and government leaders lauded SpaceX after its Texas launch tower successfully caught a returning Starship spacecraft following a 22.5-hour orbital journey. The engineering milestone represents a vital step toward creating fully reusable rocket architectures capable of routine space operations. While the orbital upper stage was recovered intact, the company is still investigating fuel issues that affected the mission's Super Heavy booster.
Aerospace leaders including Google CEO Sundar Pichai praised SpaceX after its Starship spacecraft executed a historic return from orbit to its Texas launch site. The upper stage was captured upright by the launch tower's mechanical arms, marking the first time such an orbital vehicle was caught to achieve complete hardware reusability. This milestone significantly advances operational goals to eliminate the need to discard rocket stages following space missions.