BENGALURU, May 29: ISRO has said it has carried out 122 Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres (CAM) for its Earth Orbiting Satellites in the last 14 years.
In its Space Situational Assessment Report, the Indian Space Research Organisation said it regularly carries out analyses to predict close approaches by other space objects to Indian space assets.
In case of any critical close approach, CAMs are carried out for the operational spacecraft to mitigate the collision risk, it said.
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The space agency said that more than 53,000 alerts issued by the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) of the US Space Command for ISRO’s earth orbiting satellites were analysed using more accurate orbital data from flight dynamics.
Data shows that since 2010 to 2024, 122 CAMs were conducted and the maximum 23 were carried out between 2022 and 2023. Between 2023 and 2024, 10 CAMs were conducted.
“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.
ISRO also said that a total of 136 Indian spacecraft, including those from private operators or academic institutions, were launched in Earth-orbit till December 31, 2024.
The number of operational satellites owned by the Government of India is 22 in Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) and 31 in Geo-synchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) by the end of 2024.
In addition, two Indian deep space missions, namely, Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter (CH2O) and Aditya-L1 at Sun-Earth Lagrange’s point were also active.
“The propulsion module of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft continued to operate in a high Earth orbit (more than 1 lakh km away) after being relocated from its lunar orbit since Nov 2023,” the statement said.
ISRO said 34 rocket bodies re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere till 2024 end, and five of such re-entries took place in 2024.
“A total of 31 Indian satellites have re-entered the atmosphere till the end of 2024. In 2024 alone, nine Indian satellites re-entered the atmosphere. Among them was Cartosat-2, which re-entered the atmosphere on February 14, 2024,” the space agency said. (PTI)
