Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted a ground static test of the upgraded third stage (PS3) of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on November 12.
The test follows anomalies observed in the PSLV’s third stage during two missions — PSLV-C61/EOS-09 in May 2025 and PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 in January 2026.
In a statement, ISRO said it had carried out a comprehensive review of the PS3 stage configuration, covering design margins, raw material acceptance criteria, assembly procedures and quality checks.
ISRO Strengthens PSLV Third Stage Configuration
As part of the review, the space agency strengthened the stage configuration and introduced improvements to the nozzle design to enhance its design margins. It also updated procedures related to raw material acceptance, assembly and quality control.
ISRO said the mechanical interfaces had been strengthened and redundancy incorporated into the sealing systems. The adequacy of the design margins was also verified.
The agency further updated assembly procedures and introduced Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) at different stages of integration and transportation.
According to ISRO, these changes have been incorporated into a new version of the PS3 solid motor stage, which has now successfully undergone the ground static test.
The test marks a key step in ISRO’s efforts to address the issues identified during the two earlier PSLV missions and validate the revised third-stage configuration.
