{"id":42857,"date":"2025-11-09T03:03:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T21:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=42857"},"modified":"2025-11-10T11:51:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T06:21:48","slug":"pslv-c37-upper-stage-re-entry-marks-isros-commitment-to-debris-free-space-by-2030","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pslv-c37-upper-stage-re-entry-marks-isros-commitment-to-debris-free-space-by-2030\/","title":{"rendered":"PSLV-C37 Upper Stage Re-entry Marks ISRO&#8217;s Commitment to Debris-Free Space by 2030"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>Space Debris<\/li>\n<li>PSLV- C37 upper stage re-enters Earth orbit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>ISRO announced the successful re-entry of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C37 (PSLV-C37) upper stage into Earth&#8217;s atmosphere on October 6. This achievement aligns with global efforts to reduce space debris, supporting ISRO&#8217;s goal of achieving debris-free space missions by 2030.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Space Debris<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Space debris refers to defunct, human-made objects in Earth&#8217;s orbit, such as non-functional satellites, spent rocket stages, and fragments from satellite collisions.<\/li>\n<li>These debris pose a growing threat to operational spacecraft, satellites, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/international-space-station\/\" target=\"_blank\">International Space Station (ISS)<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Challenges<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Collisions:<\/strong> Even tiny debris can cause severe damage to satellites and space stations due to their high velocities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Chain Reaction (Kessler Syndrome)<\/strong>: Increasing debris can lead to more collisions, creating even more debris and increasing the risk of cascading damage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost of Mitigation<\/strong>: Tracking and removing debris require advanced technology and substantial financial investment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Increasing space debris<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>With the rise in the number of satellites in orbit around the earth, space debris has become a pressing issue.<\/li>\n<li>According to ISRO\u2019s Space Situational Assessment report 2022, the world placed 2,533 objects in space in 179 launches in 2022.<\/li>\n<li>The number of space objects greater than 10 cm in size in LEO is expected to be about 60,000 by 2030.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Legal provisions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Currently, there are no international space laws pertaining to LEO debris.<\/li>\n<li>However, most space-exploring nations abide by the <strong>Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines 2002<\/strong> specified by the IADC. This was endorsed by the U.N. in 2007.<\/li>\n<li>The guidelines outline methods to limit accidental collisions in orbit, break-ups during operations, intentional destruction, and post-mission break-ups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>International Institutions<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC)<\/strong>: A global forum that coordinates efforts to mitigate space debris.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/the-united-nations-un\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>United Nations<\/strong><\/a><strong> Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS)<\/strong>: Sets space debris mitigation guidelines.<\/li>\n<li><strong>International Telecommunication Union (ITU):<\/strong> Regulates satellite orbital slots to prevent overcrowding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Steps taken by India<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM):<\/strong> ISRO is committed to achieving a debris-free space environment by 2030 through passivation, active de-orbiting, and controlled re-entry of spent rocket stages.<\/li>\n<li>The implementation of this DFSM initiative will start by the beginning of 2025.<\/li>\n<li>This includes selecting clean orbits, budgeting fuel for post-mission disposal, and precisely controlling re-entry trajectories.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ISRO\u2019s Debris Mitigation Strategy:<\/strong> India\u2019s space agency, <a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/isro\/\" target=\"_blank\">ISRO<\/a>, follows international guidelines, including the IADC&#8217;s recommendation to limit post-mission orbital life to 25 years.<\/li>\n<li><strong>IS4OM (ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management):<\/strong> Monitors space debris and orbital decay, ensuring compliance with mitigation guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>PSLV- C37 upper stage re-enters Earth orbit<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Re-entry of PSLV- C37 upper stage<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>On October 6, 2024, the upper stage of ISRO&#8217;s PSLV-C37 mission, launched in February 2017, re-entered Earth&#8217;s atmosphere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>The PSLV-C37 carried 104 satellites, including Cartosat-2D as the primary payload.\n<ul>\n<li>After the mission, the upper stage (PS4) remained in orbit at approximately 470&#215;494 km.<\/li>\n<li>Over time, its orbit decayed due to atmospheric drag and was closely monitored by ISRO and US Space Command (USSPACECOM).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Re-entry followed international debris mitigation guidelines<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>This re-entry followed international debris mitigation guidelines, specifically the IADC recommendation to limit the post-mission orbital life to 25 years.<\/li>\n<li>ISRO&#8217;s passivation sequence successfully lowered PS4\u2019s orbit, ensuring re-entry within eight years.<\/li>\n<li>ISRO is now working to further reduce the orbital lifetime of rocket stages to five years through active de-orbiting, with future missions focusing on controlled re-entry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>ISRO also aims to achieve a Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM) by 2030.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q.1. What is space debris and why is it a concern?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Space debris consists of defunct objects in orbit, posing risks of collisions and cascading damage, impacting space operations and safety.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q.2. How is ISRO addressing the space debris issue?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>ISRO is implementing strategies like active de-orbiting and controlled re-entry to reduce space debris, with a goal of achieving debris-free space missions by 2030<strong>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/upper-stage-of-historic-pslv-37-mission-re-enters-earths-atmosphere-eight-years-after-launch-isro\/article68731779.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Upper stage of historic PSLV-37 mission re-enters Earth\u2019s atmosphere eight years after launch: ISRO<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/Debris_Free_Space_Missions.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ISRO<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newindianexpress.com\/amp\/story\/nation\/2024\/Oct\/08\/pslv-c37-upper-stage-re-enters-earth-orbit-splashes-into-north-atlantic-ocean\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Indian Express<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ISRO successfully re-entered the PSLV-C37 upper stage into Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, aligning with global efforts to reduce space debris and achieve debris-free missions by 2030.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":42858,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-42857","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}