- First things first, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has made the country proud about its achievements despite encountering enormous challenges ever since its establishment, needs no further iteration or elaboration. ISRO has been at the forefront in ensuring the Indian space initiatives/endeavours reach the desired objectives, keeping in line with the fast-changing scenario on the subject. Not only that, but the satellite launches also undertaken by ISRO, both domestically and internationally, have been well acknowledged, helping the entity to carve out a niche for itself in the exclusive space exploration club. Some of the monumental achievements of ISRO in cutting-edge space technology are mind-boggling and emulation-worthy, to say the least.
PC: KNN India
- Some milestones achieved by ISRO are right at the top, which only a few countries can claim. And the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has been ISRO’s workhorse over the decades. Most worryingly, PSLV has failed twice in a row now, which must be causing disconcert for all stakeholders. Are ISRO’s expanding missions overstretching its resources? The recent PSLV-C62 mission had been pitched as doing significant service to both India’s strategic national requirements and global ambitions in the commercial space. Its failure hurts both objectives. From ISRO, NASA, SpaceX, to China and Russia’s space programmes, failures have been unavoidable and have provided invaluable data and the scrutiny necessary to achieve long-term success.
PC: India TV News
- Especially, in high-risk environments. But this happy outcome only follows upon investigating failures honestly, applying the lessons learnt, and moving forward with improved systems. Otherwise, as Russia’s space programme has experienced, there’s a loss of both market share and prestige. PSLV has long been ISRO’s workhorse, trading heavily on reliability. It’s now failed twice in a row, which will make clients hesitant. In a competitive market where newer launchers promise rapid cadence, ISRO cannot rely on legacy goodwill. The multiple satellites that have gone down with the launch vehicle include a strategic payload built by DRDO. Notably, India already operates with gaps in surveillance, reconnaissance, and secure communications.
PC: India Today
- Thus, losing a defence satellite pushes those gaps further out, at a time when regional security demands faster augmentation, not delays. After Operation Sindoor, ISRO took the unusual step of underlining that pinpointed strikes deep inside enemy territory were enabled by the country’s space capabilities. But each failed launch sets back deployment schedules by months, sometimes years. Replacement satellites need funding approvals, rebuild cycles, and new launch slots. 2025 was a year of underperformance, and 2026 started with the gap between expectation and execution already clamouring for attention. A PSLV crisis diverts engineering focus, testing facilities, and leadership attention. Priorities must be reset with absolute clarity forthwith.
