Home/ SATELLITES/ PSLV-C59 Satellite Launch Failure Under Investigation After Upper Stage Anomaly

PSLV-C59 Satellite Launch Failure Under Investigation After Upper Stage Anomaly

ISRO investigates PSLV-C59 upper stage failure that destroyed two Earth observation satellites worth $45 million on March 14, 2024, grounding future …

verified

Sarah Voss

May 18•1 min read

Listen to this article

PSLV-C59 Satellite Launch Failure Under Investigation After Upper Stage Anomaly

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C59) experienced a critical upper stage failure on March 14, 2024, resulting in the loss of two Earth observation satellites valued at approximately $45 million. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a formal investigation into the anomaly that occurred 17 minutes into the mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

What Caused the PSLV-C59 Launch Failure?

Preliminary telemetry data indicates the fourth stage engine shut down prematurely at T+17:23 minutes, preventing the EOS-07 and Bhutanese VariSat-2 satellites from reaching their intended 550 km sun-synchronous orbit. «We observed an unexpected loss of chamber pressure in the PS4 stage,» stated ISRO Chairman S. Somanath during a March 15 press briefing. «The payloads are in a degraded orbit and cannot fulfill their mission objectives.»

How Will This Impact India’s Space Program?

ISRO has grounded all PSLV missions pending investigation results, expected within 60-90 days. This marks the PSLV’s third failure in 61 missions since 1993, maintaining a 95% success rate. The agency had planned eight PSLV launches for 2024, including commercial contracts with international clients. «We’re implementing additional pre-flight validation protocols,» Somanath confirmed, noting that upcoming missions for Singapore and Malaysia face potential delays of 4-6 months while corrective measures are identified and implemented.

folder_openSATELLITES schedule1 min read eventPublished May 18, 2026 updateUpdated May 18, 2026 personSarah Voss

Written by Sarah Voss

Sarah Voss is SpaceBox CV's senior space-industry analyst with 8+ years covering commercial spaceflight, satellite networks, and deep-space exploration. She tracks every Falcon 9, Starship, and Ariane launch — alongside the orbital mechanics, propulsion research, and constellation economics that drive the new space economy. Her expertise spans SpaceX operations, NASA programs, Starlink Gen3 deployments, and lunar/Mars roadmaps. Before joining SpaceBox CV, Sarah covered aerospace markets for industry publications and followed launch programs from Boca Chica to Kourou. She watches every major launch in real time, reads every FCC filing on satellite deployments, and tracks rocket manifests across all major providers. When not writing about Starship's latest test flight or a constellation-grade laser link, Sarah is observing launches and studying mission profiles — first-hand following the cadence she writes about for readers.