ISRO successfully launched the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 satellite from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota early Friday. Weighing over 2,300 kilograms, EOS-05 is the heaviest payload ever carried by a GSLV rocket and was placed into its intended geosynchronous orbit. The pre-dawn, rain-soaked mission marked ISRO’s first success of 2026 following a January failure involving the PSLV-C62 rocket. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the launch, while ISRO chairman V Narayanan confirmed the satellite was successfully injected into orbit with its solar panels deployed.
The launch coincided with a political dispute over the future of India’s space programme. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Modi government of attacking, strangulating, and emasculating ISRO through a privatisation push involving rocket and satellite work and a new spaceport in Tamil Nadu. The ruling BJP defended the policy, arguing that opening the sector to private startups expands the space ecosystem without weakening ISRO. ISRO chairman V Narayanan also stated that private industry has a necessary role to play because the agency alone cannot meet the country’s growing needs.