India is all set to conduct its first space launch of the year today, as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) prepares for the liftoff of the PSLV-C62 mission from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. According to B R Guruprasad, Director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, January 12, 2026 marks India’s opening launch of the year. He described the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) as one of the most dependable launch systems in the world, noting its role in historic missions such as Chandrayaan-1, Mangalyaan, and Aditya-L1. Speaking to ANI, he explained that the upcoming flight will be the 64th mission of the PSLV series.

The rocket will carry an Earth-observation satellite named Anvesha (EOS-N1) and place it into a polar sun-synchronous orbit, approximately a few hundred kilometres above the Earth’s surface. This orbit will allow the satellite to capture consistent and precise data for monitoring the planet’s surface and environmental changes. ISRO confirmed the launch schedule on social media, stating that the mission is set for 10:17 AM IST from Sriharikota.

ISRO’s latest success comes shortly after its mission on December 24, when it launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite for US-based company AST SpaceMobile. That mission, conducted at 8:55 AM IST, successfully deployed the satellite into orbit. Designed to provide high-speed cellular connectivity directly to smartphones worldwide, BlueBird Block-2 also became the heaviest payload ever carried into Low Earth Orbit by the LVM3 rocket, marking another milestone for India’s growing space capabilities.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.