ISRO reveals the growing issue of dead satellites and space debris orbiting Earth, highlighting efforts and missions to track, manage, and keep space safer for future missions.
India has been making strides in space exploration for decades, but not all the objects it sends into orbit are still functioning. A recent response in the Lok Sabha highlighted the amount of debris left behind by Indian space missions. Union Minister Jitendra Singh mentioned that there are currently 129 trackable pieces of debris from Indian missions orbiting the Earth. These include non-working satellites, spent rocket parts, and fragments from rockets that broke apart in space.
Among these 129 objects, 49 are no longer operational satellites. Some of these orbit near Earth in low Earth orbit (LEO), while others stay in geostationary orbit (GEO), which is much higher up. The remaining debris consists of rocket bodies from PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 launches, as well as 33 fragments from the PSLV-C3 rocket that broke apart in space.
What is Space Debris?
Space debris refers to any human-made object in orbit that no longer has a use. This can range from decommissioned satellites and discarded rocket stages to tiny pieces of paint. Even small fragments can be dangerous since objects in space travel at speeds of about 10 kilometres per second. A single collision can damage a working satellite and create thousands of new pieces of debris, making space more hazardous for future missions.
Related Articles
To tackle the growing problem, the ISRO has introduced the Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM), announced in 2024. This initiative aims to ensure that no debris is created from Indian space activities by 2030. The goal is achieved by designing satellites and launch vehicles with extra fuel to allow for safe deorbiting at the end of their service life.
Removing Existing Debris
India is also working on ways to remove existing debris. The SpaDeX mission in 2025 demonstrated autonomous docking and undocking in space, an important step in debris cleanup. Scientists are researching robotic arms and rendezvous technology to safely capture and remove non-functional satellites and rocket fragments.
Additionally, Project Netra, which is India's space situational awareness network, tracks debris in orbit and sends alerts to prevent collisions with active satellites.
Why It Matters
The increasing amount of debris in orbit poses a serious threat to both India's satellites and global space operations. Experts agree that preventing debris in future missions is a challenging but essential goal. With initiatives like DFSM, SpaDeX, and Project Netra, India is making significant efforts to keep space safer for the future.
For more information on these missions and debris management plans, visit the Indian Space Research Organisation's website at www.isro.gov.in.
