Isro saved satellites from potential collision 10 times in 2024

NEW DELHI: Isro successfully performed 10 Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres (CAMs) in 2024 to protect its satellites from potential collision with other objects in space, according to the newly released

Indian Space Situational Assessment Report

(ISSAR) for 2024.The space agency performs Space Situational Awareness (SSA) activities to protect national space assets from space environmental hazards, such as resident space objects, including space debris, natural objects like asteroids and meteoroids, energy and particle flux.Last year, 89 manoeuvre plans were revised to avoid post-manoeuvre close approaches with other space objects for low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. On two occasions, manoeuvre plans had to be revised to avoid post-manoeuvre conjunctions for Geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, it said.Overall, Isro has carried out 122 CAMs for its earth-orbiting satellites in the last 14 years. The agency said more than 53,000 alerts issued by Combined Space Operations Center of US Space Command for Isro's earth-orbiting satellites were analysed using more accurate orbital data from flight dynamics.

Data shows that between 2010 and 2024, 122 CAMs were conducted and a maximum 23 were carried out between 2022 and 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, there were 10 CAMs.“The number of CAMs was less in 2024 compared to the previous year. This is because improved close approach analysis methodology with larger conjunction screening volume and usage of more accurate ephemerides helped to meet collision avoidance requirements by adjusting orbit maintenance manoeuvres on several occasions and avoiding exclusive CAMs,” Isro explained.About the return of satellites once they complete their mission, Isro said a total of 31 Indian satellites had re-entered the atmosphere till the end of 2024. In 2024 alone, nine Indian satellites did so. Among them was Cartosat-2, which re-entered the atmosphere on Feb 14, 2024, being Isro’s first-ever LEO to be deorbited at end-of-life to reduce its post-mission orbital life from more than 30 years to less than four years.A total of 136 Indian spacecraft, including those from private operators and academic institutions, were launched in Earth-orbit till Dec 31, 2024. The number of operational satellites owned by India stood at 22 in lower earth orbit (LEO) and 31 in geo-synchronous earth orbit (GEO) by 2024 end.In addition, two Indian deep space missions, Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter and Aditya-L1 at Sun-Earth Lagrange's point, were active. Isro said 34 rocket bodies re-entered the Earth's atmosphere till 2024 end, and five of such re-entries took place in 2024.