ISRO’s Narrow Escape: How Precision Avoided Disaster for Chandrayaan-3
News Mania desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/29th April 2024
In a dramatic revelation, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has unveiled the heart-stopping moment when its meticulously planned Chandrayaan-3 mission narrowly averted a potentially catastrophic collision with space debris. This event, which occurred just moments before the mission’s scheduled liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in July 2023, underscores the critical role of precision and proactive space management in ensuring the success of ambitious space exploration endeavors.
Chandrayaan-3, a pivotal component of India’s ambitious lunar exploration program, was poised for launch on July 14, 2023, when ISRO’s vigilant monitoring systems detected a looming threat. An unidentified piece of space debris, a relic of past space missions, was hurtling along a trajectory that intersected with Chandrayaan-3’s intended path during its crucial initial orbital phase. The collision risk posed by this debris, propelled by the staggering velocities characteristic of objects in space, presented a grave danger to the mission’s success.
Responding swiftly to this alarming development, ISRO’s mission control team sprang into action, making split-second decisions aimed at averting disaster. With meticulous precision, the launch was delayed by a mere four seconds—a seemingly inconsequential adjustment with monumental implications. However, this brief delay proved to be the pivotal window needed to recalibrate Chandrayaan-3’s trajectory and steer it clear of the impending collision. This decision, informed by comprehensive Collision Avoidance Analysis (COLA) procedures embedded within ISRO’s Launch Clearance Protocol, exemplifies the agency’s proactive approach to mitigating risks in the unforgiving environment of space.
The successful execution of this impromptu adjustment ensured that Chandrayaan-3 could proceed unhindered on its mission to explore the lunar surface, free from the looming threat of collision with space debris. This harrowing episode not only underscores the formidable challenges posed by space debris but also highlights ISRO’s remarkable expertise in navigating these hazards with precision and agility.
ISRO’s recently published Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for 2023 provides further insight into the agency’s proactive stance towards space safety. The report reveals that ISRO conducted a total of 23 collision avoidance maneuvers to safeguard its fleet of satellites orbiting the Earth. Remarkably, despite the complex and dynamic nature of space operations, no such interventions were required for high-profile missions like Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 once they had embarked on their respective journeys into space.
This near-miss incident serves as a sobering reminder of the ever-present risks and challenges inherent in space exploration. As humanity ventures further into the cosmos, it becomes increasingly imperative to develop and implement robust strategies for space debris mitigation and collision avoidance. ISRO’s adept handling of this potentially disastrous situation underscores its unwavering commitment to the safety and success of India’s ambitious space missions, paving the way for further advancements in space exploration and discovery.
(This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a Media Release)
