THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — National Security Advisor Ajit Doval carried out a closely held, high-level review of India’s space launch programme in January 2026 following two successive failures of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), according to officials familiar with the matter. The exercise, conducted between January 22 and 23, focused on determining whether the back-to-back mishaps stemmed solely from technical causes or whether procedural and security lapses required closer examination.
The review was initiated on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid growing concern within the government over the reliability of a launch vehicle that has long been regarded as the backbone of India’s satellite deployment and commercial launch services.
Low-profile visit and restricted engagement
Officials said the National Security Advisor travelled from New Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram on a scheduled commercial IndiGo flight, without advance notice or official protocol. He was accompanied by a small personal security detail, with no visible convoy or ceremonial arrangements. Soon after arrival, he proceeded directly to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thumba, the primary design and development centre for India’s launch vehicles under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
During his two-day stay, Doval held a series of closed-door meetings with VSSC Director A. Rajarajan and senior engineers from propulsion, quality assurance, materials, and mission integration divisions of ISRO. The discussions examined detailed telemetry, manufacturing records, inspection data, and internal audit reports related to recent PSLV missions.
Failures under scrutiny
The review centred on two missions that failed less than eight months apart. PSLV-C61, launched on May 18, 2025, was lost after a sudden drop in combustion chamber pressure during the burn of the third stage (PS3). A subsequent mission, PSLV-C62, launched on January 12, 2026, experienced abnormal roll-rate behaviour and loss of vehicle control, again during the PS3 phase of flight.
ISRO’s internal Failure Analysis Committee (FAC), chaired by former ISRO chairman K. Sivan, had earlier attributed the two failures to separate technical causes linked to pressure loss and side-venting phenomena in the solid motor. However, officials said the recurrence of anomalies in the same stage prompted a broader review that extended beyond engineering explanations.
Focus on the PS3 stage
The PS3 is a solid rocket motor, a configuration that offers high reliability but allows little scope for corrective action once ignition occurs. Unlike liquid stages, solid motors cannot be throttled or shut down, making them sensitive to defects in propellant casting, grain geometry, insulation, and nozzle components. Even minor deviations introduced during manufacturing, storage, or handling can have disproportionate effects during flight.
As part of the assessment, officials examined production batches, vendor supply chains, quality-control checkpoints, and recent changes in personnel and supervisory roles within ISRO’s launch vehicle programme. Particular attention was paid to whether recent organisational reshuffles or accelerated schedules had any bearing on inspection rigor or documentation practices.
Security and oversight dimensions
While no conclusive evidence of sabotage has been identified, the involvement of the National Security Advisor underscored the strategic importance of the PSLV programme. The vehicle is routinely used to place Earth observation, navigation augmentation, and strategic surveillance satellites into orbit, in addition to supporting international commercial customers.
Officials said the review also evaluated access controls at manufacturing and integration facilities, data handling procedures, and cyber and physical security protocols associated with launch vehicle development. The objective, they noted, was to ensure that all plausible factors—technical, procedural, and security-related—were examined before the vehicle returns to flight.
Government position and future steps
Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh has stated publicly that preliminary findings do not indicate sabotage and that the causes of the two failures appear to be different. He has also confirmed that a third-party technical review is underway to validate corrective measures and certify the PSLV for a return to service, with the next launch tentatively planned for mid-2026.
Following the conclusion of his meetings on January 23, Doval travelled onward to Kanyakumari before returning to New Delhi. He is expected to submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) outlining his findings and recommendations.
Restoring confidence in the PSLV remains a priority for the government and ISRO, given the vehicle’s central role in India’s space infrastructure, national security applications, and its standing in the global launch market.
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