Crashed! Why ISRO safely destroys its spacecraft over the Indian Ocean on Valentine's Day

ISRO: The Indian space agency has safely landed its Cartosat-2 satellite after it successfully completed its mission.

Cartosat-2: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said on Friday that it had safely knocked down its Cartosat-2 probe satellite back to Earth. Cartosat-2 burned up upon reentry into the upper atmosphere. Launched in 2007, the satellite had completed its mission in 2019 and has since been gradually lowered by ISRO to ensure a safe re-entry into the atmosphere.

Cartosat-2: the mission and the happy ending

ISRO stated that Cartosat-2 was a high-resolution imaging satellite and was useful for various cartographic applications such as coastal land use monitoring, urban and rural mapping and utility management such as water distribution and road networks.
“Cartosat-2, Isro's high-resolution imaging satellite, bid farewell with a descent into the Earth's atmosphere on February 14, 2024, as predicted. ISRO had reduced its orbit from 635 km to 380 km in early 2020,” ISRO said in a statement.

The satellite was brought from 635 km to 380 km in early 2020 by burning the remaining fuel for an accelerated descent. During the process, ISRO followed international guidelines for space debris reduction.

Cartosat-2: The ISRO team

The ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) team, specifically System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations (IS4OM), is responsible for predicting and executing the controlled descent of Cartosat-2. The Indian Space Agency took all precautions and ensured a controlled and safe end-of-life disposal by completing the electrical passivation on February 14. The final telemetry frames showed successful passivation, with the satellite reaching an altitude of 130 km before re-entry.

Cartosat-2: conclusion of the mission

This successful crash demonstrates an important step for ISRO in ensuring the long-term sustainability of space operations,” the space agency said.

The mission is in line with international efforts to minimize space debris and adheres to guidelines from organizations such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPOUS) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordinating Committee (IADC ).

The mission was carried out as part of global initiatives aimed at reducing space debris and follows the guidelines of organizations such as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPOUS) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordinating Committee (IADC) .