NEW DELHI: Isro will mark its first launch of 2026 – PSLV C62 mission – on Monday (Jan 12) at 10.17 am from the first launchpad at the Sriharikota spaceport. The rocket will launch an advanced earth observation satellite EOS-N1 (code-named ‘Anvesha’), another ‘eye in the sky’ that will boost India’s surveillance powers from space. Besides the primary payload EOS-N1, PSLV will also be carrying a European demonstrator satellite and 17 other satellites belonging to Indian and foreign agencies. EOS-N1 is a hyperspectral imaging satellite developed primarily for DRDO. It is capable of “seeing” in hundreds of wavelengths to identify materials on the ground – making it a high-priority asset for national security and surveillance. It will help India secure its borders and also be used in fields like agriculture, urban mapping and environmental observation. Besides EOS-N1, 18 secondary payloads, including Europe’s Kestrel Initial Demonstrator, will piggyback on the primary satellite and will be placed in space. The KID mission will feature experimental re-entry of a small capsule in collaboration with a Spanish startup, with a planned splashdown in South Pacific Ocean. Other secondary payloads are cubesats from Indian startups and universities, including CV Raman Global University’s CGUSAT-1, Dhruva Space’s DA-1, Space Kidz India’s SR-2, Assam Don Bosco University’s Lachit-1, Akshath Aerospace’s Solaras-S4 and Dayanand Sagar University’s DSAT-1. OrbitAID Aerospace is set to make history with AayulSAT, India’s first on-orbit satellite refuelling payload.
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