ISRO Missions and Discoveries

ISRO Rocket Debris on Australian Shore

| International Relations | Mains Paper 3: Awareness in various sc and tech fields
Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Liability Convention

Mains level: Space Debris Issue

isro space debris

Central Idea

  • A couple of weeks ago, a large object discovered on the shores of Western Australia has been confirmed to be the debris of an ISRO rocket used for IRNSS constellation.
  • The incident raises concerns about space debris and its potential impact on Earth and its inhabitants.

Frequency and Risks of Space Junk

  • Common Occurrences: Incidents of space debris falling back to Earth are not uncommon. Most instances involve relatively small fragments that survive atmospheric friction, typically not making significant news.
  • Publicized Instances: However, there have been a few highly publicized falls, such as a 25-tonne Chinese rocket chunk falling into the Indian Ocean in May 2021 and the disintegration of the Skylab space station in 1979, with some fragments landing in Western Australia.

How did ISRO debris land in Australia?

  • Probable Re-entry and Ocean Drift: The debris likely remained unburnt while dropping back into the atmosphere during re-entry and eventually fell into the ocean. Ocean currents may have carried it towards the Australian shores.
  • Move for disposal: The Australian Space Agency is working with ISRO to determine the next steps, including considering obligations under the United Nations space treaties.

Potential Hazards and Impact

  • Threat to Life and Property: The threat to life and property from falling space junk cannot be ignored. Even objects falling into oceans can pose risks to marine life and contribute to pollution.
  • Recorded Incidents: So far, there are no recorded incidents of falling space objects causing significant damage on Earth. Instances of debris falling over land have generally occurred in uninhabited areas.

International Regulations and Liability

  • Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects: International regulations, such as this Convention, govern issues related to space debris falling back to Earth.
  • Absolute Liability: The launching country is “absolutely liable” to pay compensation for any damage caused by its space object on Earth or to a flight in the air.
  • Compensation Provision: In the current case, if the PSLV debris had caused any damage in Australia, India could have been liable to pay compensation, regardless of it falling into the ocean first.
  • Past Compensation: The Convention has resulted in compensation payment only once when Canada sought damages from the Soviet Union for a satellite with a radioactive substance falling into its uninhabited northern territory in 1978. The Soviet Union paid 3 million Canadian dollars as compensation.

Liability Convention, 1972

  • What is it? The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, often referred to as the Liability Convention, is indeed an important international treaty in the field of space law.
  • Primary Objective: The main purpose of the convention is to provide a legal framework for dealing with liability arising from damage caused by space objects on Earth’s surface or in outer space.
  • Adoption and Entry into Force: The Liability Convention was adopted on March 29, 1972, and it became effective on September 1, 1972. It is one of the 5 UN treaties that pertain to space law.
  • Liability of Launching States: The convention holds the launching state (internationally liable for any damage caused by its space objects on Earth’s surface or to aircraft in flight.
  • Applicability: The convention applies to both governmental and non-governmental entities involved in launching space objects.
  • Strict Liability: It establishes strict liability for the launching state, meaning that it is held responsible for damages caused by its space object regardless of fault or negligence.
  • Limitation of Liability: The liability of the launching state is subject to a limitation. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the cap was set at 60 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a monetary unit used by the International Monetary Fund.
  • Liability for Unauthorized Launches: Even if a space object is owned by a private entity or a state that did not authorize the launch, the launching state is still liable unless it can demonstrate that it was not at fault.
  • Scope of Application: It deals specifically with damage caused by space objects to the Earth’s surface and aircraft in flight. For damage to other space objects or personnel on space objects, liability is governed by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.

  ISRO’s Efforts to Mitigate Space Debris

  • Unique Scientific Experiment: ISRO successfully conducted a dedicated commercial mission, placing seven Singaporean satellites into intended orbits on board a PSLV rocket.
  • Orbit-lowering Experiment: During this mission, ISRO performed a unique experiment, lowering the fourth stage of the rocket into a 300 km high orbit after placing customer satellites at an altitude of 536 km to mitigate space debris concerns.
  • Reducing Debris Duration: Thanks to the orbit-lowering experiment, the duration of the stage in space has been significantly reduced to “two months.”
  • Objectives of the Experiment: The experiment aims to address space debris mitigation problems and preserve valuable orbits for future satellite deployments.

Conclusion

  • The incident of India’s space debris washing ashore in Australia highlights the importance of managing space debris to ensure the safety of Earth and its inhabitants.
  • ISRO’s efforts to mitigate space debris through conscious measures demonstrate responsible space exploration practices.

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Smart One
9 months ago

Indians are dangerous to the world when it is a time for droppings from the sky. Indians drop wet garbage dumplings on street side roads as in case of Ludhiana Punjab India Asia World Universe Nature.

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