“The PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission left virtually no debris in orbit,” the space agency said.
Bangalore:
ISRO on Monday said its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has completed an orbital debris mission and called it “another milestone”.
This was accomplished on March 21, when the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) met its “fiery end” by reentering Earth’s atmosphere.
“The PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission left virtually no debris in orbit,” the space agency said.
The PSLV-C58 mission was completed on January 1.
According to ISRO, after completing the primary mission of injecting all satellites into their desired orbits, the final phase of PSLV was converted into a 3-axis stabilized platform, POEM-3.
The stage was deorbited from 650 km to 350 km, facilitating early re-entry, and was passivated to remove residual propellants to minimize any accidental risks of breakup, the stage said.
POEM-3 was configured with a total of nine different experimental payloads to conduct technology demonstrations and scientific experiments on the newly developed indigenous systems. Of these, six payloads were delivered by Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) through the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN’SPACe).
The mission objectives of these payloads were achieved within one month.
The orbital altitude of the upper stage continued to decrease due to natural forces, mainly atmospheric drag, with the module (NORAD ID 58695) expected to enter the North Pacific Ocean (Lat 6.4 N & Long 158.7 W) on March 21, 2024. would have hit. , at 14:04 UTC (7:34 PM IST), ISRO said.
Through POEM, which serves as a highly cost-effective platform for conducting short-term experiments in space, ISRO has opened new vistas for academia, startups and NGEs to experiment with their new payloads, the report said.
This new capability has been effectively leveraged by numerous startups, universities, and NGEs to conduct experiments in space, including electric thrusters, satellite dispensers, and star tracking.
POEM also includes new features such as total avionics in single-chain configuration, industrial-grade components in avionics packages including Mission Management Computer, standard interfaces for electrical power, telemetry and telecommunications, and new space navigation algorithms using rate-gyro . , sun sensor and magnetometer, the space agency said.
For effective conduct of experiments on board POEM-3, body velocities were stabilized at less than 0.5 degrees/s for the entire period, and innovative schemes such as controlled dumping of residual propellant after the main mission were introduced to avoid disruptions due to to minimize passivation, it added. .
Noting that Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) has taken the lead in conceptualizing and realizing the POEM by expanding the 4th phase of PSLV, ISRO said PSLV-C58/XPoSat is the third such mission in the series, with POEMs each being written successfully. time.
The payload operations were effectively carried out by the spacecraft operations team of the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) of the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) and ISRO’s System for Safe and Sustainable Spacecraft Operations Management (IS4OM) monitored and analyzed the orbital space. the decay altogether, it said. Until almost the return, POEM-3 was monitored by ISTRAC ground stations.
The Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) at Shriharikota also tracked the PS4 stage until the morning of March 21. POEM-3 was also supported by other centers such as UR Rao Satellite Center (URSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Center (LPSC) and ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU).
ISRO said it will continue its commitment to providing a cost-effective orbital experiment platform as the increasing threat posed by space debris, especially with multiple small satellite constellations on the horizon, poses a significant threat to space activities including satellite launches, human spaceflight, and space exploration missions.
ISRO, as a responsible space agency, is committed to mitigating this threat through the development and implementation of advanced debris tracking systems, technologies for deorbiting space objects and responsible satellite deployment practices, thereby safeguarding the orbital environments for current and future space efforts, it added. .
(This story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
