DRDO’s Anvesha satellite to be crown jewel of ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission

Sriharikota, January 11 (ANI): Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to launch the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission on January 12 from the first launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Center at 10.17 am on Sunday. (@isro Photo credit: ANI

Anvesha is a hyperspectral Earth observation satellite developed by DRDO’s Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE). The launch is scheduled for Monday at 10.17 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, near Chennai.

The satellite is expected to provide the armed forces with advanced imagery, enhance situational awareness, strengthen strategic planning and prepare troops for future operational challenges, at a time when regional and global security uncertainties are steadily increasing, sources familiar with the development said.

EOS-N1, classified as a mini-satellite (100–150 kg), will operate in low Earth orbit (~600 km) and serve as the primary payload of this PSLV mission. “This breakthrough technology enables hyperspectral imaging over hundreds of narrow spectral bands, far surpassing conventional RGB imaging,” said Lt. Gen. AK Bhat, Director General of the Indian Space Association (ISpA).

“It will provide unprecedented capabilities for material identification, strategic surveillance and national security, including applications in missile defense monitoring.”

There are other DRDO laboratories supporting this program, including one under the Solder Support System division.

In addition, Centum Electronics Ltd, a core member of the ISpA, has made a significant contribution to the EOS-N1 by developing the complete electronics for IRDE, DG Bhat said.

This Payload Electronics, in the form of multiple subsystems, is responsible for controlling and operating the sensor, managing power distribution, acquiring and processing image data, and communicating with the spacecraft.

It receives commands from the satellite, generates the required timing and control signals for the detector, conditions and digitizes the focal plane analog signals, and formats the hyperspectral data for transmission.

Increasing militarization of space

This will be the second launch of the DRDO satellite in less than five years, which is being done to scale up the country’s capabilities to meet the growing militarization of space. Earlier in 2021, DRDO’s Sindhu Netra was deployed in space to help the Indian Navy keep a close watch on the South China Sea and beyond.

After Operation Sindoor, the government is accelerating its space programme, including the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in October 2024 to launch 52 special military surveillance satellites.

Announced as Phase III of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS-III) initiative, the government has allocated an outlay of around ₹26,968 crore to significantly enhance national security and border security.

The PSLV-C62 mission will carry the EOS-N1 satellite along with 15 co-passenger satellites from domestic and international customers.

The mission will carry satellites from indigenous start-ups such as Dhruva Aerospace and OrbitAID Aerospace’s AayulSAT, an experimental payload to demonstrate satellite refueling technology in orbit.

The mission is the ninth dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of the space agency.

This launch will be the 64th flight of the PSLV, a workhorse of ISRO’s notable missions such as Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1 and Astrosat Mission.

The PSLV-C62 mission will also demonstrate a small-scale prototype of a re-entry vehicle called Kestrel Initial Technology Demonstrator (KID), developed by Spanish start-up Orbital Paradigm. The KID will be the last co-passenger to be injected, after which it is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere toward a splashdown in the South Pacific.

Published on January 11, 2026