The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently disclosed that the launch of Chandrayaan-3 had to be delayed by four seconds to mitigate the potential risk of collision with space debris and satellites. This decision was based on a Collision Avoidance Analysis (COLA) to prevent close approaches between a debris object and injected satellites at similar operational altitudes during the mission’s orbital phase.
ISRO emphasized that there were no concerning close approaches with other space objects throughout Chandrayaan-3’s mission phases. This assurance comes in the wake of ISRO releasing its ‘Indian Space Situational Assessment Report’ for 2023, which evaluates the space environment’s safety for sustainable operations.
The report underscored a notable increase in the space object population, indicative of enhanced space accessibility and diverse space technology applications. ISRO’s space object proximity analysis aims to predict close approaches and, if necessary, initiate collision avoidance maneuvers (CAM) to safeguard operational spacecraft.
Chandrayaan-3, comprising the lunar lander module Vikram and rover Pragyaan, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14, 2023. India made history on August 23, 2023, by successfully landing a craft near the moon’s south pole, marking a significant achievement in lunar exploration. The mission conducted experiments for one lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days, showcasing India’s prowess in soft landing technology on the lunar surface alongside the US, China, and the erstwhile Soviet Union.
Sources By Agencies
