PSLV-C62 Failure: Lone Spanish ‘KID’ Capsule Survives ISRO Rocket Crash & Beams Data

Space can be a brutal teacher, and Monday, January 12, 2026, was one of those days where the lesson was expensive. ISRO’s first mission of the year, PSLV-C62, hit a wall—or rather, a “deviation”—near the end of its third stage.

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The thing is, we were all watching for Anvesha, the DRDO’s strategic “super-eye” that was supposed to track enemy movements from 500 km up. Or nothing. Let’s be real, seeing the “workhorse” rocket stumble for the second time in a year (after the C61 failure in May 2025) is a punch in the gut for India’s space cred. Those too.

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The “Lone Survivor” Log: Field Notes

It’s an ongoing situation where a 25-kg Spanish “KID” just became the star of a failed show.

• The Miraculous Separation: While 15 other satellites—including the AayulSAT refuelling tanker and student-built sats—are likely toast, the Kestrel Initial Demonstrator (KID) from Orbital Paradigm actually woke up. The thing is, it separated from the tumbling rocket about 18 minutes after liftoff.

• 190 Seconds of Glory: And here’s the kicker—it didn’t just survive; it talked back. KID beamed down 190 seconds of telemetry while screaming through the atmosphere at Mach 20. It hit a peak force of 28Gs—nearly double what it was designed for.

• The “Toaster” Test: Even though it was plunged into a -20° re-entry angle (four times steeper than planned), the internal payload stayed at a “comfortable” 30°C. The thing is, this proved their thermal shield is basically bulletproof.

• The DRDO Loss: On the flip side, the loss of Anvesha (EOS-N1) is huge. It was a hyperspectral beast meant to unmask military camouflage. And then there’s the PS3 stage—ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed a “drop in chamber pressure.” It’s a ghost that’s been haunting the PSLV since last May.

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PSLV-C62: The Survival Scorecard

And Here’s the Kicker…

Orbital Paradigm’s CEO, Francesco Cacciatore, basically said that while his customers didn’t get their microgravity time, the capsule worked better than expected under “disaster conditions.” The thing is, this data is worth more than a perfect flight because it shows the capsule can survive a literal rocket crash.

It’s an ongoing situation where the PSLV is officially “grounded” until they figure out why the third stage keeps quitting. With a $200 million loss and insurance premiums set to spike by 30%, ISRO has some serious soul-searching to do before the next countdown.

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End…

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