These upcoming launches carry added significance in light of setbacks suffered in recent years.
A great deal is riding on India's upcoming space launches as the country prepares to undertake two strategic missions in the first quarter of calendar year 2026.
The first of these -- a spy satellite launch -- is scheduled for the morning of January 12.
According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C62 will lift off at 10:17 am from the first launch pad, carrying Anvesha (EOS-N1), a spy and Earth observation satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Alongside the primary payload, EOS-N1, the mission will also carry 15 small co-passenger satellites belonging to Indian and international entities, ISRO said.
In December 2025, the government informed Parliament that this was a dedicated Earth observation satellite launch by New Space India Ltd (NSIL) for a strategic user, accompanied by multiple co-passenger satellites.
The second strategic mission will involve the launch of EOS-05 aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV-F17, the government said.
Anvesha (EOS-N1) is a hyperspectral satellite equipped with advanced sensors capable of detecting objects and materials invisible to the naked eye.
Unlike conventional imaging systems, hyperspectral sensors capture hundreds of narrow spectral bands per pixel, enabling highly precise material identification.
For strategic and defence applications, this technology allows the detection of camouflaged assets, as fabrics, metals, and human bodies reflect light in distinct ways.
The satellite is expected to significantly enhance surveillance of enemy troop movements, vehicles, concealed weapons, and other military assets.
The mission will also demonstrate KID or Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator from a Spanish startup, which is a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle being developed by the startup.
The KID will be the last co-passenger to be injected, after which it is slated to re-enter the earth's atmosphere towards splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean.
'The integration of the vehicle and satellites has been completed and pre-launch checks are in progress,' Indian space agency said.
These upcoming launches carry added significance in light of setbacks suffered in recent years.
On May 18, 2025, PSLV-C61, carrying the EOS-09 Earth observation satellite with synthetic aperture radar, failed mid-flight, resulting in an estimated loss of ₹850 crore.
Earlier, on January 29, 2025, GSLV-F15 failed to place the NVS-02 navigation satellite -- valued at about ₹300 crore -- into its intended orbit due to a pyro-valve malfunction that cut off oxidiser flow.
Including replacement costs and lost opportunities, the financial impact of these failures runs into hundreds of crores of rupees, in addition to significant opportunity costs.
Earlier losses included GISAT-1 in 2021 due to cryogenic stage ignition failure in a GSLV mission, and IRNSS-1H in 2017 when the PSLV heat shield failed to separate.
More recently, in November 2025, ISRO successfully launched the military communication satellite GSAT-7R (CMS-03) aboard the LVM3 rocket, restoring some confidence in its heavy-lift capabilities.
Several missions are scheduled before March 2026. These include HLVM3-G1/OM1, the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission, which will demonstrate end-to-end human spaceflight capability, including orbital operations, re-entry, and crew module recovery.
Another mission, PSLV-C63/TDS-01, will launch a Technology Demonstration Satellite to test high-thrust electric propulsion, an indigenous travelling wave tube amplifier, and quantum key distribution.
These technologies are aimed at enabling all-electric satellites and strengthening self-reliance in critical satellite systems.
ISRO will also undertake PSLV-N1/EOS-10, the first PSLV realised by NSIL through an industry consortium.
This mission will launch EOS-10 (Oceansat-3A) for meteorological, oceanographic, and land applications, along with the Indo-Mauritius Joint Satellite and private-sector co-passengers.
The EOS-10 mission, together with Oceansat-3 (EOS-06), is expected to provide daily data supporting a wide range of environmental monitoring and scientific applications.
In addition, SSLV-L1 will mark a dedicated commercial mission by NSIL.
Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
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