[7] PSLV-C39 carrying IRNSS-1H was using XL variant of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on its forty-first flight.

Excluding this mid-flight malfunction, rest of the planned flight sequences including spacecraft separation at 17 minutes and 56 seconds occurred nominally but due to extra 1182 kg mass of fairing,[8] target orbit could not be achieved leaving the combined assembly of PSLV upper-stage (PS4), enclosed payload fairing and trapped IRNSS-1H spacecraft in 167.4 × 6554.8 km orbit with 19.18° inclination.

[9][10][11] Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of IRNSS-1H was fired to help it come out of the payload fairing and to consume the propellants and passivate the spacecraft.

The cause of malfunction was identified as non-initiation of detonation in pyro device of vertical jettisoning system.

[13][14] Combined assembly of PSLV fourth stage, payload fairings and enclosed IRNSS-1H spacecraft within it weighed between 2675 and 3480 kg and re-entered Earth's atmosphere around 19:23 UTC on 2 March 2019 over Vanuatu.