India’s space agency ISRO, faced disappointment today as its PSLV-C61 rocket mission ended incomplete due to technical issues during the third stage of flight. ISRO Chairman Narayanan confirmed the setback during a brief press announcement.

The launch began smoothly at the scheduled time with normal performance during the first and second stages. However, problems emerged during the critical third stage when a pressure drop was detected in the solid motor chamber. By this point, the rocket had already travelled for about eight minutes.

This marks only the second failure in the PSLV’s 61-launch history, with the previous failure occurring nearly two decades ago. The PSLV has been ISRO’s most dependable rocket system with an impressive track record until this setback.

The mission carried a satellite meant for geological monitoring and defence purposes. It was designed to replace an existing satellite whose service period is ending soon. The satellite was expected to provide critical services for about five years and was valued at approximately 150 crore rupees.

This unsuccessful mission could potentially affect ISRO’s upcoming ambitious project next month – a collaboration with NASA. Chairman Narayanan later tweeted: “PSLV-C61 performance was normal till second stage, but a technical issue occurred in third stage. The mission could not be accomplished.”

ISRO officials mentioned they are analysing the anomaly and will share detailed findings after a thorough investigation.