Bengaluru – The 42nd Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) Annual Meeting 2024, held recently, saw a significant announcement from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The Chairman of ISRO, S Somanath, outlined the organization’s clear and comprehensive program in space exploration and utilization.
As of now, ISRO has 54 spacecraft in orbit, along with several non-functional objects. The organization has been diligently working to dispose of or remove these space objects from their active roles once their operational life is over. The deorbiting and safe relocation of these objects have been a crucial part of ISRO’s ongoing efforts.
“We have been taking very careful action wherever it is possible to dispose of or remove the space objects from its active role once it is over to deorbit and bringing them to a safe location has been one of the important topics that we have been taking action all throughout,” said Somanath.
In addition to this, ISRO has been ensuring that the systems they launch, including the upper stages of the rocket or the spacecraft, are designed and implemented in such a way that they will not cause any additional debris creation. This is achieved by creating a mechanism within these systems to remove all energetic possibilities.
“We also make sure that within the systems that we launch, including the upper stages of the rocket or the spacecraft, we create a mechanism by which we will be removing all energetic possibilities within that by careful design as well as implementation of principles so that it will not really cause any additional debris creation,” Somanath added.
This commitment from ISRO towards managing space debris is a significant step in ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities, thereby contributing to the global efforts in maintaining the outer space environment safe and secure for future generations.
