India's space program is facing unprecedented scrutiny after its most reliable rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), experienced back-to-back failures. This has raised concerns about the future of India's space ambitions. The PSLV, with a previously impressive 96% success rate, suffered mission failures in May 2025 and January 2026, both stemming from anomalies in the third stage.

On January 12, 2026, the PSLV-C62 mission, carrying an Earth observation satellite and 15 co-passenger satellites, encountered a "disturbance" near the end of its third stage. This led to a deviation in the flight path, resulting in the loss of all 16 satellites. A similar incident occurred in May 2025 during the PSLV-C61 mission, where a drop in chamber pressure in the third stage led to mission failure.

These failures are particularly concerning because the third stage of the PSLV is a solid rocket motor fueled by hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), a mature technology. Once ignited, solid rocket motors burn until all fuel is exhausted, making a sudden drop in velocity indicative of a significant structural or material failure.

The lack of transparency from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) following these incidents has fueled speculation and worry. The failure analysis report from the May 2025 incident has not been released to the public, leading to questions about potential manufacturing defects, hardware negligence, or other underlying issues. Experts suggest that the problems could stem from ISRO's inability to assure the quality of components used in the third stage or that adjustments made after the May 2025 failure may have inadvertently caused the January 2026 failure.

The consecutive failures have significant implications for ISRO's commercial launch ambitions and its upcoming human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan. The PSLV has been a workhorse for launching both domestic and international payloads, and its reliability is crucial for maintaining India's position in the global space market. The loss of the 16 satellites on the PSLV-C62 mission also highlights the financial risks for space startups, as many do not have insurance coverage for their payloads.

ISRO has initiated a detailed analysis to determine the root cause of the PSLV-C62 failure. The space agency has a history of recovering from setbacks, but restoring confidence in the PSLV will be critical for the future of India's space program. Previous failures with the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) have been attributed to various technical issues, including faulty valves, cryogenic engine malfunctions, and structural failures. Following those incidents, ISRO implemented modifications and improvements to address the identified problems.

The current situation demands a thorough and transparent investigation to identify the underlying causes of the PSLV failures and implement corrective measures. As India's space ambitions continue to grow, regaining the legendary reliability of its workhorse rocket is paramount.