In May 2025, which ISRO mission failed to deploy its Earth observation satellite due to a third-stage anomaly in the PSLV-C61 rocket?

Correct option is D

Correct Answer: (d)
Explanation
· In May 2025, the ISRO mission that failed to deploy its satellite was EOS-09.
· The mission utilized the PSLV-C61 rocket (the 63rd flight of the PSLV).
· The failure was caused by a critical anomaly in the third stage (PS3) of the rocket, specifically a drop in motor chamber pressure, which prevented the satellite from reaching the intended orbit.
Information Booster
· EOS-09 (also known as RISAT-1B) was an advanced Earth Observation Satellite equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR).
· Its primary objective was to provide all-weather, day-and-night imaging for applications such as agriculture, forestry, soil moisture estimation, and disaster management.
· This event marked a rare failure for the PSLV, known as ISRO's "workhorse," with this being only the third failure in its history (the previous ones being in 1993 and 2017).
Additional Knowledge
· RISAT-2BR2 (a): This refers to an older series of Radar Imaging Satellites; recent missions have shifted to the "EOS" (Earth Observation Satellite) naming convention.
· INSAT-3DS (b): A meteorological satellite that was successfully launched in February 2024 aboard the GSLV-F14.
· Cartosat-3 (c): A third-generation advanced satellite launched successfully in 2019 aboard PSLV-C47.