India’s premier space organisation, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has decommissioned the Megha-Tropiques-1 weather satellite. This satellite was jointly developed by India and France and launched in 2011. Its primary objective was to gain a better understanding of meteorological and climatic processes in the tropics by collecting accurate data on the water and energy budget of the tropical atmosphere which would help in the development of different climate models.

ISRO Brings Down Megha-Tropiques-1

To bring down the Megha-Tropiques-1 satellite, a series of manoeuvring exercises were carried out to lower its orbit. The satellite later entered the denser atmosphere and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean. This move is in line with the United Nations and Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) guidelines, which recommend that stored fuel be removed from the spacecraft to ensure that no accidents break up the satellite in space and create more debris. Satellites should be deorbited – either through controlled entry over a safe impact zone (like the one ISRO did) or by bringing it down to reduce the orbital lifetime – the time it would take for a satellite to drop from a particular orbit by itself – to less than 25 years.

Importance of this Operation

The decommissioning of Megha-Tropiques-1 by ISRO was a critical operation for several reasons:

Testing of appropriate methodologies: ISRO’s successful decommissioning of the Megha-Tropiques-1 weather satellite was a testing ground for appropriate methodologies for future satellite decommissioning operations.

Mitigation of space debris: The operation aligns with the idea of mitigating the issue of space debris. The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee is an intergovernmental forum whose aim is to coordinate efforts to deal with debris in orbit around the Earth. Debris in space can be hazardous to active spacecraft, and the decommissioning of the Megha-Tropiques-1 satellite helps reduce the risk of such incidents.

MCQs on Role of Megha-Tropics-1

  1. What was the primary objective of the Megha-Tropiques-1 weather satellite?
    A. To gain a better understanding of meteorological and climatic processes in the tropics
    B. To explore outer space
    C. To communicate with extraterrestrial life
    D. To study ocean currents
    Correct Answer: A. To gain a better understanding of meteorological and climatic processes in the tropics
    Explanation: Megha-Tropiques-1’s objective was to collect accurate data on the water and energy budget of the tropical atmosphere to help in the development of climate models.
  2. How did ISRO decommission the Megha-Tropiques-1 weather satellite?
    A. By bringing it down to reduce the orbital lifetime to less than 25 years
    B. By launching it into space
    C. By burying it deep underground
    D. By leaving it in orbit indefinitely
    Correct Answer: A. By bringing it down to reduce the orbital lifetime to less than 25 years
    Explanation: ISRO carried out manoeuvring exercises to lower the orbit of the satellite and it later entered the denser atmosphere and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean, in line with UN and IADC guidelines for safe satellite decommissioning.
  3. What is the purpose of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee?
    A. To coordinate efforts to deal with debris in orbit around the Earth
    B. To study the behavior of extraterrestrial life
    C. To explore outer space
    D. To monitor the weather patterns in the tropics
    Correct Answer: A. To coordinate efforts to deal with debris in orbit around the Earth
    Explanation: The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee is an intergovernmental forum that aims to coordinate efforts to deal with debris in orbit around the Earth, and provide guidelines for safe and responsible space operations.

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