PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 Mission

Context: India’s first space mission for 2026 will launch a defence satellite built by DRDO, a satellite for ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to be used by Nepal, test on-orbit refuelling technology of a Bengaluru-based startup, aside from 13 other satellites, including foreign ones from UK, France and Brazil.

PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 Mission:

• The main satellite the mission will launch is DRDO’s Anvesha, also called EOS-N1.
• EOS-N1 is designed to provide the Indian military with advanced, unprecedented surveillance advantages over adversaries.

Mission Overview

• Launch Vehicle: Indian Space Research Organisation’s PSLV-C62
• Launch Date & Time: 12 January 2026, 10:17 hrs IST
• Launch Site: First Launch Pad, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Andhra Pradesh
• Significance: First ISRO launch of 2026; it will be a confidence-restoring mission after PSLV-C61 anomaly (May 2025)

EOS-N1 (Anvesha): India’s Advanced Defence EO Satellite

• Developer: Defence Research and Development Organisation
• Nature: Defence-oriented Earth Observation satellite
• Alternate Name: Anvesha

Strategic Capabilities

• Carries a hyperspectral imaging payload
• Analyses reflected light across hundreds of narrow wavelength bands
• Enables:
  1. Precise material identification
  2. Detection of camouflaged and concealed assets
  3. Enhanced Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) beyond conventional optical satellites

Strategic Significance

• Bridges critical gaps in India’s space-based military surveillance
• Strengthens deterrence and situational awareness along sensitive borders
• Reflects global trend of space militarisation for national security
• Enhances India’s strategic autonomy in defence space assets

While this satellite is expected to bridge the gap in strategic surveillance to some degree, the mission will also launch AyulSAT, which if successful will be the first step towards India demonstrating the crucial on-orbit refuelling technology which will have far-reaching benefits.

OrbitAID & AayulSAT: Foundation of India’s On-Orbit Economy

• Developer: OrbitAID Aerospace, Bengaluru (deep-tech start-up)
• Key Payload: AayulSAT

SIDRP Docking Interface

• Satellite Interface for Docking and Refuelling Protocol (SIDRP)
• Proprietary, standardised docking mechanism
• Compatible with Indian and international satellites
• Enables:
  1. On-orbit refuelling
  2. Satellite life extension
  3. Robotic servicing missions

Strategic Importance

• Introduces standardisation in satellite servicing—akin to ports in maritime trade
• Positions India in the global on-orbit servicing and logistics market
• Marks shift from “launch-and-discard” to “service-and-sustain” space strategy

Funding & Capability Building

• Secured seed funding (2026) from Unicorn India Ventures
• Supports development of:
  1. Orbital refuelling depots
  2. Robotic servicing arms
  3. Indicates growing investor confidence in India’s space start-up ecosystem

Technology Demonstration: On-Orbit Refuelling (AayulSAT)

Why It Matters

• First on-orbit refuelling test by India
• Lays foundation for:
  1. Extended satellite lifespans
  2. Reusable and serviceable satellites
  3. Reduced mission and replacement costs

Broader Impact

• Essential for a sustainable on-orbit space economy
• Helps address:
  1. Space debris accumulation
  2. Short operational life of satellites
  3. Rising costs of repeated launches

Broader Payload Ecosystem on PSLV-C62:

• MOI-1:
  1. AI-enabled Earth-imaging satellite
  2. Developed by Hyderabad-based start-ups
  3. Reflects AI–Space convergence
• IMJS (Indo-Mauritius Joint Satellite):
  1. Symbol of space diplomacy and South–South cooperation
  2. Enhances Earth-observation data sharing
• KID Re-entry Capsule (Spain):
  1. Atmospheric re-entry technology demonstration
  2. Strengthens ISRO’s credibility as a trusted international launch partner

Space Diplomacy: Munal Satellite (Nepal)

• Developer: Antharkshya Pratishtan, Nepal
• Support: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
• It is intended to carry an Earth observation payload to support environmental monitoring and capacity building, marking another step in Nepal’s entry into space-based applications.

International and Academic Payloads

• The mission will put into orbit 13 more satellites, including five — CGUSAT, DSUSAT, MOI-1, LACHIT and DR-1 — by Indian startup Dhruva Space. They will demonstrate or validate multiple technologies, including indigenous satellite bus capabilities and subsystems, communication and payload subsystems in low Earth orbit, multi-payload integration and operational performance of larger CubeSat platforms, basic satellite operations and communication links, etc.
• Foreign satellites on the mission include five satellites by Brazil’s AlltoSpace, Theos-2 from SSTL, UK, and KID Capsule by RIDE, France.
• The five satellites from Brazil are EduSat, Uaisat, Galaxy Explorer, Orbital Temple, and Aldebaran-1.
• The last is a CubeSat called Sanskarsat by Laxman Gyanpith, India.
• All satellites have been contracted through Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (Nsil), the commercial arm of the department of space.

Significance

• Highlights India’s growing role in the global small-satellite launch market
• Supports the NewSpace India ecosystem
• Demonstrates ISRO’s commercial and diplomatic reach

Overall Strategic and Economic Significance

Reaffirming PSLV Reliability

• Confidence-restoring mission after PSLV-C61 failure
• Reinforces PSLV as:
  1. ISRO’s workhorse launcher
  2. Preferred vehicle for small and medium satellites

Towards Sustainable Space Operations

• Success of AayulSAT could:
  1. Trigger an Indian on-orbit servicing industry
  2. Reduce long-term launch dependency
  3. Enable sustainable use of outer space

Integrated Space Policy

• Seamlessly integrates:
  1. Security (EOS-N1)
  2. Diplomacy (Nepal, Mauritius, foreign payloads)
  3. Commerce (start-ups, servicing economy)

Conclusion

The PSLV-C62 / EOS-N1 Mission marks a decisive evolution in India’s space strategy—combining defence readiness, technological innovation, private sector participation, and space diplomacy. By pioneering on-orbit refuelling and reinforcing ISR capabilities, the mission positions India not merely as a launch service provider, but as an emerging leader in the next phase of the global space economy.