Bhubaneswar, 12/1 : A day of soaring ambition for Odisha’s scientific community ended in somber reflection on Monday as the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV-C62 mission, carrying the state’s first indigenous satellite, failed to reach its intended orbit. The mission, which lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10:18 AM, encountered a critical anomaly during its third stage, resulting in the loss of the primary payload EOS-N1 and 15 co-passenger satellites, including the pride of Odisha, CGUSAT-1.
The launch was a watershed moment for the state, driven by a dedicated 31-member team of scientists, faculty, and students from C. V. Raman Global University (CGU), Bhubaneswar. Their creation, CGUSAT-1, was a communication cubesat designed specifically to aid disaster management—a crucial technology for a coastal state frequently battling cyclones. Developed in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space, the satellite aimed to provide emergency communication channels when conventional networks fail.
“The performance of the vehicle up to the end of the third stage was as expected, but close to the end, there was a disturbance in the vehicle roll rates, followed by a deviation in the flight path,” ISRO Chairman S. Somanath announced shortly after the launch, confirming the mission’s inability to inject the satellites into the Sun-Synchronous Orbit.
Despite the setback, the spirit of innovation in Bhubaneswar remains unshaken. The CGUSAT-1 project was led by budding scientists and seasoned faculty members, including Soumya Mishra, Assistant Professor and custodian of the university’s ground station. “We have a ground station in the university ready to track satellites. This mission was about demonstrating that small satellites can support continuity of communication during disasters,” Mishra had stated prior to the launch. The team had spent over a year meticulously building the satellite, with students like Devadatta Sahu and Rahul Kumar Gupta playing pivotal roles in its assembly and testing.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who had been closely monitoring the event, extended his support to the scientific community. In a message shared shortly after the liftoff, he congratulated ISRO and the Odisha team for the “successful launch” phase, highlighting the state’s growing prowess in space technology. While the final orbital insertion was unsuccessful, the successful integration and launch of a university-built satellite marks a significant technological leap for Odisha’s academic sector.
The failure of the PSLV-C62, often dubbed ISRO’s “workhorse,” is a rare anomaly for the vehicle. However, for the scientists at CGU, the mission is viewed not as a defeat but as a stepping stone. The university has already indicated plans for future satellite developments, ensuring that Odisha’s contribution to India’s space odyssey is just beginning.
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