ISRO's POEM-3 mission marks another ‘milestone’; Zero debris re-entry achieved
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday announced that its PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) re-entered the Earth's atmosphere without leaving any debris in orbit. The ISRO has termed it “another milestone". "The PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission has practically left zero debris in orbit," the space agency said.
The operation took place on January 1, 2024. Following the successful placement of all satellites into their designated orbits, the final stage of the PSLV was converted into a 3-axis stabilized platform known as POEM-3. This stage was then deorbited from an altitude of 650 km to 350 km, enabling an expedited re-entry process.
Additionally, measures were taken to passivate the stage, including the removal of residual propellants, to reduce the potential risks associated with accidental break-ups. POEM-3 was configured with a total of 9 different experimental payloads to carry out technology demonstrations and scientific experiments on the newly developed indigenous systems. Out of these, six payloads were delivered by NGEs through IN-SPACe.
The mission objectives of these payloads were met in a month. The orbital altitude of the upper stage continued to decay under the influence of natural forces, primarily atmospheric drag with the module (NORAD ID 58695) expected to have impacted the North Pacific Ocean (Lat 6.4 N & Long 158.7 W) on March 21, 2024, at 14:04 UTC (19:34 Hrs. IST).
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