BENGALURU: In a major setback for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), its reliable launch vehicle, the PSLV, has failed for the second time in the last nine months. Due to a technical glitch during the third stage of the launch, 16 satellites could not be delivered to their intended orbits and were lost in space.

Key Highlights:

Third-Stage Failure: The first two stages of the rocket launch were completed successfully. However, a technical malfunction occurred during the operation of the third-stage engine, causing the rocket to lose its velocity and direction.

Loss of 16 Satellites: This mission was intended to place a total of 16 multi-purpose satellites from India and abroad into orbit. Due to the rocket's failure, all these valuable satellites failed to reach their orbits and either burnt up or became space debris.

Second Setback in Nine Months: The fact that a highly successful rocket like the PSLV has failed twice within a nine-month period has raised concerns among space scientists. This is likely to impact ISRO's future commercial launches.

Investigation Ordered: ISRO has formed an inquiry committee led by senior scientists to determine the exact cause of this failure. The investigation will examine whether it was a design flaw in the engine or a software-related issue. This incident has sparked a debate regarding the reliability of the PSLV, often called ISRO's "Workhorse," and has prompted calls for increased vigilance over upcoming ambitious projects like the Gaganyaan mission.