The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday successfully carried out its first launch of 2026, placing the EOS-N1 Earth observation satellite into space aboard the PSLV-C62 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The EOS-N1 satellite, also known as Anwesha, lifted off at 10:17 am IST from the First Launch Pad, marking the 64th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). ISRO confirmed the launch in a post on the social media platform X shortly after liftoff.
The mission is designed to strengthen India’s remote sensing capabilities, with applications in agriculture monitoring, urban mapping and environmental observation. The satellite was launched along with 15 co-passenger satellites, all of which are planned to be injected into Sun Synchronous Orbit.
According to ISRO, the mission also includes the demonstration of the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID), developed by a Spanish startup. The KID is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle and forms part of ISRO’s efforts to support emerging space technologies.
The Indian space agency stated ahead of the launch that the KID capsule would be placed on a re-entry trajectory. It is scheduled to be the final co-passenger to separate from the launch vehicle before re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down in the South Pacific Ocean.
The PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission is the ninth dedicated commercial mission executed by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), ISRO’s commercial arm. The launch also marked the fifth mission using the PSLV-DL configuration, which features two solid strap-on motors.
The PSLV continues to remain ISRO’s most reliable launch vehicle, having completed 63 missions to date. It has played a key role in several landmark missions, including Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1, and Astrosat. In 2017, PSLV set a global record by launching 104 satellites in a single mission.
ISRO’s most recent launch attempt before PSLV-C62 was the PSLV-C61 mission in May, which marked the agency’s 101st launch endeavour. That mission aimed to place the 1,696-kg EOS-09 Earth observation satellite into a 505-km Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit.
While the initial phases of the PSLV-C61 flight proceeded as planned, a technical anomaly in the third stage prevented the satellite from reaching its intended orbit.
With the successful launch of EOS-N1, ISRO has begun 2026 with a mission focused on Earth observation, commercial collaboration and technology demonstration.
