PSLV Launch Fail Not Sabotage, Internal Probe On, Says Minister Jitendra Singh

An internal analysis is in progress to determine the cause of the failure of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which took place last month, Science Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh told reporters today. Asked about the possibility of sabotage, Dr. Singh said he had found no reason to believe that sabotage was involved in the PSLV failures.

The Indian Space Research Organisation had faced a huge setback in January after its workhorse launch vehicle, carrying a surveillance satellite and several commercial payloads, encountered an anomaly during the third stage of the flight. All 16 satellites it was carrying were lost in space.

An external failure analysis committee, comprising experts from outside the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will be established to provide an independent assessment.

Dr. Singh clarified that initial probe has suggested that the failures in the 2025 and 2026 PSLV launches were due to different reasons, though both involved the third stage of the vehicle.

He expressed optimism that if the analysis is completed and a solution is found, the PSLV could be back on the launchpad as early as June 2026.

Dr. Singh emphasized that foreign and commercial partners have not lost interest in the PSLV and that ISRO's credibility in the launch market remains intact. He noted that 18 launches are scheduled for 2026, including six by private players, none of whom have withdrawn.

He also said three significant launches are scheduled for 2027 from Sriharikota by foreign partners from the USA, Japan, and France.

The Gaganyaan programmne, he said, is proceeding as scheduled and has not been affected by the PSLV failures. Three uncrewed missions are planned for this year, and if successful, a human spaceflight could occur in the first quarter of 2027.

The PSLV-C62 was meant as a comeback mission after its single launch in 2025, which had also failed. 

That failure, too, occurred during the third stage of the rocket, ISRO had said. A failure analysis committee was formed by ISRO but the findings of that committee were never made public.