National security gets major boost with advanced satellite deployment.
India’s space journey for 2026 has begun on a powerful note. On Monday, the skies over the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota lit up as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) roared into action. Marking the 64th flight of this reliable launch vehicle, the ISRO PSLV-C62 launch successfully placed the 'Anvesha' satellite, formally known as EOS-N1, into a sun-synchronous polar orbit.
Boosting National Defense
At the heart of this mission is the Anvesha satellite, a sophisticated Earth observation asset developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). This payload is not just another eye in the sky; it represents a significant leap in national security technology. Designed to provide high-resolution imaging, Anvesha will allow India to map sensitive regions and monitor enemy positions with pinpoint accuracy.
NewSpace India Limited spearheaded this commercial venture, which stands as their ninth dedicated mission to build and deploy Earth Observation satellites. This launch highlights the growing synergy between India’s defense requirements and its space capabilities.
A Milestone for Private Aerospace
While defense remains a priority, this mission also marks a watershed moment for India's private space sector. Hyderabad-based Dhruva Space made history by contributing a total of seven satellites to the payload.
Chaitanya Dora Surapureddy, Co-founder and CFO of Dhruva Space, expressed excitement over the achievement. He noted that four of the satellites were built entirely by their team—three for clients and one for internal use. These satellites are primarily designed for low-data-rate communication, a feature that will be highly beneficial for amateur radio operators. Surapureddy emphasized that this mission serves as a robust demonstration of their systems, with nine of their integrated components flying on the rocket.
Reliability Reaffirmed
This mission reinforces the global reputation of the PSLV. BR Guruprasad, Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, reminded space enthusiasts of the vehicle’s legendary track record. Having previously carried historic missions like Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan, and Aditya-L1, the PSLV continues to be one of the world's most dependable launch vehicles.
Coming shortly after the successful deployment of the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite in late December, this latest success sets a positive tone for the year ahead. With Anvesha now circling hundreds of kilometers above Earth, India’s strategic vision for 2026 is off to a flying start.
