ISRO’s GSLV-F17 rocket successfully placed the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite into orbit on September 4. The 2:55 am launch from Sriharikota gave the space agency its first successful mission of 2026.

The 2,367-kg satellite, also called GISAT-1A, is India’s first imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit. It will image large parts of the subcontinent every five minutes and the full landmass roughly every 30 minutes.

The success ended an eight-month gap after the PSLV-C62 mission failed on January 12. That rocket, carrying the EOS-N1 satellite and 15 co-passenger payloads, was lost after a third-stage anomaly. A similar failure had hit PSLV-C61 in May 2025.

ISRO chairman V. Narayanan said the mission was a great achievement for India’s space programme. He announced six more launches this fiscal year, including the first uncrewed mission of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.

EOS-05 revives a capability India lost when EOS-03 failed in 2021. Once fully operational, it will support weather tracking, disaster response and border monitoring. The mission also extends GSLV’s run of recent successes.