ISRO’s ‘zero orbital debris’ milestone & the space debris crisis

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said its PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission has practically left zero debris in earth’s orbit.

Key highlights

• The space agency explained that the last stage of the Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV) used in the mission was transformed into a kind of orbital station — called the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3)
  • before it was left to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere instead of floating in orbit once its mission was completed.

Making Space Experiments Affordable

• ISRO's clever idea turned a rocket stage into a science lab!
• The last part of the PSLV rocket became the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM), a low-cost platform for space research.
• Launched in 2022, POEM lets scientists conduct experiments in orbit without needing a whole new satellite.

POEM-3: A Clean Mission

• In 2024, ISRO's PSLV C-58 mission deployed a satellite and then transformed the 4th stage into POEM-3.
• After completing its experiments, POEM-3 safely re-entered Earth's atmosphere, reducing space debris.
• This is important because there's a growing problem with space junk, which can crash into satellites and create a chain reaction of collisions.

Cleaning Up Space

• There are no international laws for cleaning up low-Earth orbit debris, but many space agencies have guidelines.
• For example, NASA has an Orbital Debris Program, and the European Space Agency aims for zero debris by 2030.
• Even private companies like Manastu Space in India are developing ways to remove old satellites and extend their lifespans.

Prelims takeaway

• NASA
• PSLV