Isro set to end seven-month launch freeze with GISAT-1A in September
Isro is preparing to launch GISAT-1A in September, ending a nearly seven-month gap in launches after its first mission of 2026 failed
 "Isro set to end seven-month launch freeze with GISAT-1A in September")
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is set to return to the launch pad in September, ending a nearly seven-month operational pause with the GISAT-1A Earth-observation satellite, officials in the know told The Indian Express.
GISAT-1A, also designated EOS-05, is scheduled to launch in the first week of September aboard the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The mission will be Isro’s first launch since the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission failed on January 12.
A test of Isro’s return to flight
The pause follows a difficult run for the space agency. In 2025, the PSLV-C61/EOS-09 mission also failed because of an anomaly in the rocket’s third stage.
The agency had set a target of 15 missions for 2025-26 and an even more ambitious programme for 2026-27, including multiple PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 flights as well as missions linked to the Gaganyaan programme. The extended pause has put that schedule under pressure.
GISAT-1A replaces a failed predecessor
GISAT-1A is designed for high-frequency imaging of large areas of the Indian landmass. Its applications include monitoring natural disasters, agriculture, forestry and other changes on the ground. The satellite has a planned 10-year mission life.
It is also a replacement for GISAT-1, or EOS-03, which was lost during the GSLV-F10 mission in August 2021 after the rocket’s final propulsive stage failed to ignite.
The September flight will therefore revive an Earth-observation capability that Isro has been trying to restore since that failure.
Next up: NavIC mission
The next major mission will be NVS-03, the third satellite in India’s second-generation NavIC series. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting a September launch, officials quoted by The Indian Express indicated that NVS-03 is likely to fly in November, after GISAT-1A.
NVS-03 is particularly important because India’s NavIC constellation currently does not have enough operational satellites to provide standalone positioning services. In a recent Parliament reply, Union Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said only three satellites were currently providing positioning, navigation and timing services, while at least four are required for basic positioning. Timing services, however, remain functional.
NVS-03 is already fueled and ready at Sriharikota. Isro is also working on NVS-04 and NVS-05, which are expected to follow in close succession as India attempts to rebuild its navigation constellation.