New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman, S. Somanath, on Sunday said that setbacks have served to refine our resolve and deepen our scientific rigour, as the Indian space agency’s 101st mission, PSLV-C61 carrying the EOS-09 satellite, faced a technical malfunction in the launch vehicle.

In a post on the social media platform X, Somanath said that true to its indomitable spirit, ISRO “will swiftly assemble its finest minds to dissect the anomaly and chart a meticulous course forward”.

“I am aware of the formidable challenges we faced during the development of the third-stage solid motor — an endeavour marked by multiple failures. It is indeed unusual to witness such anomalies resurfacing at this stage. Nevertheless, I have complete confidence that the team will identify the root cause both swiftly and effectively,” said the former ISRO chief.

The malfunction led to the mission failure, and the satellite could not be successfully deployed. The indigenous PSLV, or Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle — PSLV-C61 — lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota with the aim of placing EOS-09 into a Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO).

According to Somanath, over the years, “such challenges have only strengthened our conviction that failure is never defeat, but rather a formidable tutor”.

“Every towering success of ISRO has been forged in the crucible of adversity — shaped by lessons deeply learnt and courageously applied. Setbacks have ever served to refine our resolve and deepen our scientific rigour. Nothing shall deter our pursuit of knowledge, which we carry forward with characteristic poise and unwavering precision,” he mentioned.

According to ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, an unexpected issue arose during the third stage, preventing the successful deployment of the satellite.

“The PSLV is a four-stage launch vehicle, and its performance was normal up to the second stage. The third stage motor ignited perfectly; however, during its operation, an anomaly was observed, and the mission could not be completed successfully. We will come back after analysis,” he further said.

–IANS

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