The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module, which was built on the last stage of the PSLV rocket that sent XPoSat into space on New Year’s Day, is expected to burn up within the next 75 days after fulfilling the goals of every experiment on board. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), this will guarantee that the mission leaves no debris behind.
The organization also declared on Saturday that the meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS, which was developed at the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, has been launched to Sriharikota. The mission is scheduled to launch atop GSLV in the middle of February.
Since last year, ISRO has been taking action to reduce space debris, including reducing the orbit of retired satellites and the terminal stages of rockets as well as removing extra fuel.
In fact, the orbit of POEM-3 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3) was lowered from 650 km to 350 km after the space observatory XPoSat was placed in orbit to reduce the time the platform remains in orbit.
The space agency said that the platform had completed 400 orbits by the 25th day. During this period, each of the nine experiments were put to operation and their performance determined. The experiments include the Women Engineered Satellite (WESAT) developed by LBS Institute of Technology for Women to study the comparison between solar irradiance and UV index, a radiation shielding experiment, an amateur radio, three propulsion systems by space start-ups, and an interplanetary dust count experiment by Physical Research Laboratory. Two types of fuel cell systems developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre were also onboard.
One of the fuel cells that uses hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity and releases heat and water as bi-product is expected to be a precursor for energy systems required for a space station. The cell system is ideal for human missions in space because the heat and water generated as bi-products are also essential, meaning a single system can meet multiple requirements of the mission. India has targeted setting up a space station in the low Earth orbit by 2035.
So far, on three POEM platforms, ISRO has flown a total of 21 experiments.
