ISRO PSLV-C61 Fails Mid-Flight in 101st Launch

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ISRO's latest satellite launch exploded into failure just minutes after taking off from Sriharikota Sunday morning

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The PSLV-C61 rocket carrying the critical EOS-09 Earth observation satellite encountered mysterious problems during its third stage of flight.

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"The mission could not be accomplished," confirmed ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan after the 5:59 AM launch went sideways.

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This marks only the third failure in 63 launches for India's otherwise reliable PSLV rocket program - what exactly went wrong?

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The 1,696.24 kg EOS-09 satellite was supposed to capture detailed images of Earth even through clouds or darkness using advanced radar tech

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Farmers won't receive critical crop monitoring data, disaster teams lose flood tracking capabilities, and border security misses enhanced surveillance

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At 44.5 meters tall and weighing 321 tonnes at liftoff, this massive XL configuration was the 27th flight of PSLV's heavy-lifting version.

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A failure analysis committee has already been assembled to investigate what triggered the malfunction during the crucial third stage.

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ISRO's transparent approach prevents rushing conclusions - they've promised a thorough investigation before any future launches occur

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This would have been ISRO's impressive 101st launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, showing how far India's space ambitions have evolved.

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With only two previous failures (1993 maiden flight and 2017 navigation satellite), will this setback significantly impact India's space timeline?

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Despite this rare failure, ISRO's PSLV program remains crucial to India's growing reputation as a reliable and cost-effective space power

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[{"selector":"#anim-877aa0ea-c0a2-4c7e-94d0-3d6a88d12bfc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7241ff6e-870b-4bbd-8d3c-1e256a6844a0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Australia’s First Orbital Rocket Launch Delayed Again. Learn more