Uncontrolled Reentry of the Chandrayaan-3 Rocket Body Into Earth’s Atmosphere Confirmed by ISRO

According to the ISRO, the cryogenic top stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle, which on July 14 of this year successfully launched the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into its target orbit, made an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

It said that this rocket body was a component of the LVM-3 M4 launch vehicle. It returned to Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday at 14:42 IST.

The North Pacific Ocean was projected to be the likely impact site. The Indian Space Research Organization released a statement saying, “The final ground track did not pass over India.”

The rocket body re-entered the atmosphere 124 days after takeoff. Thus, the LVM3 M4 cryogenic upper stage’s post-mission orbital lifespan completely complies with the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee’s (IADC) “25-year rule” for low-Earth orbit objects.

In accordance with the space debris mitigation rules established by the United Nations and IADC, the upper stage had also undergone “passivation” after Chandrayaan-3 injection to eliminate any remaining propellant and energy sources and reduce the possibility of unintentional explosions, it was reported.

“Passivation and post-mission disposal of this rocket body in adherence to the internationally accepted guidelines once again reaffirms India’s commitment to preserve the long-term sustainability of outer space activities,” the Indian Space Research Organization said.