Sometimes, what it takes to get the job done is a child-like tenacity. And 'KID', one of the 'passengers' aboard Monday's failed PSLV-C62 mission, appears to have displayed exactly that.
When it was thought that the PSLV's entire payload, including the crucial Anvesha surveillance satellite, had been lost after the mission, Spanish startup Orbital Paradigm revealed on Tuesday that its 'Kestrel Initial Demonstrator', or KID, capsule, not only managed to separate from the spacecraft but also transmitted data.
The near-miraculous nature of KID's feat was not lost on the company.
"Our KID capsule, against all odds, separated from PSLV C62, switched on, and transmitted data. We're reconstructing trajectory. Full report will come," Orbital Paradigm's handle posted on X.
On its website, the company says it works to enable "space industrialisation" and, towards this end, aims to provide "frequent, efficient and accessible" flights from orbit to Earth. This involves designing capsules that can withstand the high temperatures of re-entry and ensuring that such cargo trips from space to Earth become relatively low-cost.
The KID was a technology demonstrator and a prototype for the company's proposed vehicle, 'Kernel', which is intended to carry up to 120 kg of payload back to Earth from orbit.
Orbital Paradigm's Co-Founder and CEO Francesco Cacciatore had written before the mission that the idea behind sending KID to space was to get the company further in its quest to "master" atmospheric re-entry.
"Unlike other mission phases, there is no way to accurately replicate on ground at the same time all the conditions encountered during re-entry," he wrote.
The 'Lost' 15
Alongside the KID, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) was carrying 15 satellites, including the EOS-N1 earth observation satellite and the surveillance satellite called Anvesha, which was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Anvesha's imaging capabilities were meant to help in the defence sector, enabling India to identify enemy buildups and movement.
Also part of the payload were a dedicated tanker satellite, AyulSat, and some satellites made by Dhruva Space as well as students.
What Went Wrong
The PSLV-C62, launched as part of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO's) first mission of 2026, lifted off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh at 10.18 am. The space agency said that while the first two stages performed as expected, things started to go wrong in the third stage.
"Disturbances in the rocket and later deviation from the flight path were observed when strap-on motors were providing thrust during the flight's third stage to propel the vehicle to the intended altitude", ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said.
