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Watch India launch its 2nd space mission of the year tonight

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Liftoff of the EOS-09 Earth-observing satellite is scheduled for 8:29 p.m. ET.

ISRO’s 101st Launch | PSLV-C61 / EOS-09 | 18 May 2025 - YouTube ISRO’s 101st Launch | PSLV-C61 / EOS-09 | 18 May 2025 - YouTube
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India will launch an Earth-observing radar satellite tonight (May 17) on the nation's second mission of 2025, and you can watch the action live.

The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) EOS-09 spacecraft is scheduled to lift off atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre tonight at 8:29 p.m. EDT (0029 GMT and 5:59 a.m. India Standard Time on Sunday, May 18).

You can watch the launch live here at Space.com courtesy of ISRO, or directly via the space agency. Coverage will start at 7:59 p.m. EDT (2329 GMT).

a white and red rocket rolls out to a blue servicing tower in this long-distance image

The PSLV rocket that will launch India's EOS-09 Earth-observation satellite rolls to the Mobile Service Tower at Satash Dhawan Space Centre. (Image credit: ISRO)

As its name suggests, EOS-09 is the ninth mission in India's Earth Observation Satellite series. The spacecraft is equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) payload, which will allow it to observe our planet both day and night and through cloud cover.

If all goes according to plan tonight, the 3,735-pound (1,694 kilograms) EOS-09 will deploy from the PSLV's upper stage about 18 minutes after liftoff, at an altitude of 332 miles (535 kilometers).

After a checkout period, the satellite will begin an Earth-observing mission designed to last at least five years. EOS-09 will "provide continuous and reliable remote-sensing data for operational applications across various sectors," ISRO wrote in a mission description.

"Its ability to provide round-the-clock, reliable intelligence is especially significant given ongoing security concerns along India’s borders with Pakistan and China," India Today wrote.

Related stories:

— Facts about ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation

— India launches Earth-observing satellite on 3rd mission of new rocket (video)

— India launches Aditya-L1 solar observatory, its 1st-ever sun probe

EOS-09 will be the second orbital liftoff of the year for India. The first occurred in January, when a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle launched the NVS-02 navigation spacecraft to the final frontier.

Tonight's launch will be the 101st to date for ISRO and the 63rd for the four-stage, 146-foot-tall (44.5 meters) PSLV. The workhorse rocket is flying in its "XL" configuration, which features six strap-on solid rocket boosters.

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Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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