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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday announced the completion of de-orbiting of Cartosat-2, the first of the high-resolution imaging satellites (generation II).
Cartosat-2 is a series of remote-sensing satellites. Since 2005, ISRO has launched Cartosat-2 satellites that were primarily used for mapping purposes with image resolution capacities ranging from coarse, medium, and high resolution.
The latest Cartosat-2 (generation II) satellite to de-orbit was launched in January 2007. This polar, sun-synchronous satellite performed 14.78 orbits around the Earth in a day. Equipped with over 12,000 coupled charged devices, this satellite made use of panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras to generate high-resolution images that were extensively used for urban planning, coastal land use and regulation planning, tracking and monitoring of road networks and water distribution, creation of land use maps, geographical and land information systems, among others, until 2019.
The natural de-orbiting phase was estimated to be around 30 years. However, given its lowering onboard fuel, ISRO decided to lower the satellite’s perigee from the original altitude of 635 km to 380 km in 2020 using the leftover fuel. Further, on February 14 this year, the orbit was lowered to 130 km before it was finally de-orbited – thereby facilitating its re-entry over the eastern regions of the Indian Ocean.
“This involved reducing collision risks and safe end-of-life disposal of the satellite,” the ISRO said in its statement issued on Friday. The ISRO team at the System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations in Bengaluru coordinated this de-orbiting exercise.
Space debris is a matter of great concern and agencies like the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space have been working to address this growing menace.
In addition to satellites sent by nations for various strategic purposes like navigation, communication, defence and security, and meteorology, among others, the entry of private space operating companies has made space a more crowded place. The bulk satellite deployments by these private players and their operations, especially in the low earth orbit, are posing threats to the health and optimal operations of existing and newer satellites that run the risk of space debris collision.
