PSLV-C62: The Spanish KID Re-entry Capsule Might Hold Crucial Insights
BENGALURU: Orbital Paradigm, the company behind the Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID) capsule, which was part of the payload on the unsuccessful PSLV-C62 mission, announced on Tuesday that they have commenced their analysis of the data received from the capsule after its separation from the launch vehicle. "Against all odds, our KID capsule successfully detached from PSLV-C62, activated, and transmitted data for over three minutes. We are currently in the process of reconstructing its trajectory. Despite facing extreme conditions, including peak heat and gravitational forces—approximately 28g recorded—we managed to survive. A comprehensive report will be released soon," stated the company.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is also likely analyzing the data it collected until the moment a malfunction occurred in the third stage (PS3) of the launch vehicle. Alongside the KID capsule and India's own strategic satellite Anvesha, also known as EOS-N1, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the mission included a satellite named Munal for Nepal, facilitated through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Additionally, it carried a technology demonstrator called AyulSat from the startup OrbitAID, focusing on advancements in on-orbit refueling, along with twelve other payloads.
On Monday, the PSLV, measuring 44.4 meters tall and conducting its fifth mission in the dual strap-on configuration, was launched from the first launch pad of SDSC at 10:18 AM, approximately 1.5 minutes later than the planned time. Roughly 8.40 minutes post-launch, an announcement was made regarding the shutdown of the third stage followed by the ignition of the fourth stage (PS4). However, while a command was issued, there was no confirmation regarding whether PS4 had ignited, leading to a heightened sense of tension in the mission control room.
Ultimately, Narayanan announced that the mission had not succeeded. This failure comes just nine months after a similar glitch in the PSLV-C61’s PS3 stage hindered the EOS-09 satellite from reaching its intended orbit on May 18, 2025, marking the second consecutive failure for the PSLV series. Notably, PSLV has never experienced back-to-back failures in the past, nor has the same rocket stage ever malfunctioned more than once—until now.
"Towards the end of the third stage [PS3], we detected increased disturbance in the vehicle's roll rates, which subsequently resulted in a deviation from the intended flight path. We are diligently analyzing the data and will provide updates as soon as possible," remarked ISRO Chairman V Narayanan on Monday.
