Chandrayaan 3 Rocket Re-enters, Lands in Pacific: ISRO”
India's Chandrayaan 3 mission reached a significant milestone, marking the country's third lunar exploration venture. Lift-off occurred on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, propelling the Vikram lander and Pragyan Rover towards the moon. This historic event positioned India as the first nation to achieve a controlled lunar landing near the South Pole, making it the fourth country globally to accomplish this feat.
The Vikram lander and Pragyan Rover conducted lunar exploration for a fruitful ten days before entering sleep mode. Concurrently, the propulsion module continues orbiting the moon, having separated from the lander.
In an unforeseen turn of events, the Chandrayaan 3 launch vehicle's cryogenic upper stage experienced an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. The re-entry transpired as predicted, with the rocket's body ultimately landing in the North Pacific Ocean.
ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, shared insights into the incident, confirming that the rocket body, identified as NORAD id 57321, played a crucial role in placing the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into its designated orbit of 133 km x 35823 km with a 21.3-degree inclination on July 14. The re-entry into Earth's atmosphere occurred approximately 124 days after launch, aligning with the “25-year rule” for Low Earth Orbit objects recommended by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), a global space organization.
To mitigate potential risks associated with space debris, ISRO diligently executed post-mission procedures. The upper stage underwent passivation, a process that removes residual propellant and energy sources, aligning with guidelines set by the United Nations and IADC.
This intentional passivation, along with the subsequent disposal of the rocket body, underscores India's commitment to upholding the long-term sustainability of outer space activities while adhering to internationally accepted standards.
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