By Venkatachari Jagannathan Chennai, July 28 (Reporter) The upcoming launch of NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite by the Indian rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F16) is crucial for the Indian space agency. A lot is riding for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on this mission and the GSLV-F16 rocket has to deliver the NISAR satellite in its intended orbit. For the satellite is reported to cost about USD 1.15 billion with India’s share said to be about USD 100 million. The NISAR launch comes after two mission failures in 2025 viz., May 18, 2025: PSLV-C61, carrying EOS-09, an Earth observation satellite with synthetic aperture radar, failed mid-flight. The satellite, meant to enhance India's surveillance capability, was similar to EOS-04 launched in 2022. January 29, 2025: GSLV-F15, carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite, failed to reach its intended orbit due to a pyro valve malfunction. The valve did not open, cutting off oxidiser flow despite proper fuel pump performance. It may be time for ISRO to shift its focus from the skies to the ground and address pressing internal issues that threaten to stall its trajectory. Out of the seven launches conducted from the Sriharikota rocket port in Andhra Pradesh between Jan 2024 and May 2025, two strategic missions failed — a concerning failure rate of 29 per cent. Even more troubling is the gap between ambition and execution: only seven of the 30 planned missions between Q4 FY24 and FY25 have been realised. That’s just 23 per cent of the target. These figures are based on data from ISRO and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the regulatory body overseeing private players in India’s space sector. In February 2024, India unveiled its Integrated Launch Manifesto, which outlined 30 space missions — both government and private — including seven test launches in support of India’s ambitious human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan. But the results so far fall far short of expectations. The contrast with global players is stark. Elon Musk’s SpaceX conducted 134 orbital launches in 2024 and over 75 in 2025 with its Falcon rockets, dwarfing India's current pace. According to IN-SPACe, of the 14 commercial missions identified, seven were to be undertaken by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), including two PSLVs built through an industry consortium. IN-SPACe described this as a significant boost in activity and a positive sign for India's growing space ecosystem. However, actual achievements have not lived up to this optimistic outlook. Historically, ISRO has averaged six launches per year. The 30-mission goal set by IN-SPACe was undeniably ambitious. Between Q4 FY24 and FY25, ISRO launched the following missions: PSLV-C58 – Jan 1, 2024, GSLV-F14 – Feb 17, 2024, SSLV-D3 – Aug 16, 2024, PSLV-C59 – Dec 5, 2024,PSLV-C60 – Dec 30, 2024, GSLV-F15 – Jan 29, 2025, PSLV-C61 – May 18, 2025. Of these, two high-profile missions in 2025 ended in failure- the PSLV-C61, carrying EOS-09 meant to enhance India's surveillance capability and the GSLV-F15, carrying the NVS-02 navigation satellite which failed to reach its intended orbit. A former ISRO official suggested that PSLV-C61’s failure may have been due to a faulty valve or electrical connector in the third stage, resulting in a pressure drop. The loss of these two critical satellites, especially NVS-02, which was meant to replace the ageing IRNSS-1E in India’s regional navigation system, represents not just a technical failure but a strategic one. The financial cost of the failed launches, including replacements and lost opportunities, could run into hundreds of crores of Indian rupees. Ironically, ISRO which seems to have played a key role in addressing a liquid oxygen leak in SpaceX’s Falcon 9 — which carried Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station — as gleaned from its statement, now needs to turn that same technical scrutiny inward and improve its quality control and system reliability. Looking ahead, the first PSLV built by the HAL-L&T consortium is expected to launch later this year. While a few Indian startups have successfully launched satellites, full-fledged private rocket launches are still pending. If the current pace continues, India’s goal of building a USD 44 billion space economy by 2033 could remain just a dream. ISRO now finds itself at a critical juncture. To stay competitive in the rapidly evolving global space sector, it must not only aim high but also fix the cracks at the foundation. More so, as ISRO is also working towards a manned space mission under Gaganyaan...////...