ISRO to launch EOS-N1 satellite on January 12, marking first mission of 2026

ISRO will launch the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite aboard PSLV-C62 on January 12, marking India’s first space mission of 2026. The flight will also carry 15 co-passenger payloads, including a Spanish re-entry technology demonstrator.

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to launch the EOS-N1 earth observation satellite aboard PSLV-C62 rocket on January 12, marking the first mission of 2026.

The EOS-N1 (also called Anvesha) is an Earth observation satellite designed to enhance India’s remote sensing capabilities across agriculture, urban mapping, and environmental monitoring.

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“The integration of the vehicle and satellites has been completed, and pre-launch checks are in progress. The PSLV-C62 mission is proposed to lift off on January 12, 2026, at 10:17 am, from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota,” ISRO said.

In addition, the mission will carry 15 co-passenger payloads, making this a significant multi-satellite deployment.

“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 added.

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.

This mission will be the 64th flight of PSLV, and the launch will be 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.