Coimbatore: ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan confirmed Saturday that India’s space agency is preparing for an ambitious schedule of satellite launches in 2026, even as engineers continue to investigate a recent technical failure that doomed its first mission of the year.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a local event, Narayanan said ISRO is currently finalising a heavy manifest of launches for the current year.

"We are planning to send a lot of satellites (this year). A lot of work is going on. After meeting the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), we will announce them," Narayanan said.

Addressing recent suggestions by NASA astronaut Sunita Williams regarding deeper bilateral cooperation between India and the United States, Narayanan emphasised that India is already pursuing a robust independent roadmap under the Prime Minister's leadership.

"We have several big missions lined up," he said. "We are planning to establish an International Space Station. We are planning to send people to the Moon and bring them back to the Earth safely." He added that India maintains active space partnerships with roughly 60 nations.

However, the chairman’s briefing was also clouded by questions regarding the Jan. 12 failure of the PSLV-C62 mission. The rocket, which was carrying a strategic Earth observation satellite for the DRDO and 15 other payloads, veered off course during its third stage, resulting in the loss of all satellites.

"As I told you that day itself (on January 12), PSLV rocket is a four-stage rocket. After the third stage, there was a deviation on the flight path (of the vehicle). We are studying about it," Narayanan noted, adding that scientists are still scrutinising data to identify the exact cause of the anomaly.

Narayanan, who also serves as the Secretary of the Department of Space, concluded with advice for students, urging them to balance deep academic mastery with the development of their broader character and personality.

With inputs from PTI