ISRO launches EOS-N1 satellite aboard PSLV-C62 in first mission of 2026

ISRO on Monday successfully launched the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite aboard PSLV-C62 in its first mission of 2026. The launch aims to boost remote sensing capabilities and includes a re-entry technology demonstrator as part of its commercial payload.

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) on Monday made the first launch of 2026 with the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite aboard its PSLV-C62 rocket.

The EOS-N1, also called the Anwesha, took off on the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at 10:17 am IST from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

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“Liftoff! PSLV-C62 launches the EOS-N1 Mission from SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota,” ISRO shared in a post on the social media platform X.

The launch aims to enhance India’s remote sensing capabilities across agriculture, urban mapping, and environmental monitoring.

The mission, which carries 15 co-passenger satellites, is planned for injection into Sun Synchronous Orbit.

“The PSLV-C62 mission will also demonstrate KID or Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator from a Spanish startup, which is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle being developed by the startup,” the Indian space agency shared before launch.

The KID capsule is planned for a re-entry trajectory, according to ISRO.

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.

The PSLV-C62 / EOS-N1 Mission is the 9th dedicated commercial mission undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO.

The launch is the fifth to use the PSLV-DL variant with two solid strap-on motors.

PSLV has completed 63 flights, including notable missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, and Astrosat Mission. In 2017, PSLV set a world record by launching 104 satellites in a single mission.

ISRO undertook the 101st launch endeavour with PSLV-C61 mission, in May, to deploy the 1,696 kg EOS-09 Earth Observation Satellite into a 505 km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit.

While the initial stages of the flight performed as expected, a technical anomaly in the rocket’s third stage prevented the mission from reaching its intended orbit.