The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle, which successfully put the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into orbit on July 14th, re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday. The ISRO stated that the rocket body made an uncontrolled re-entry and the predicted impact point was over the North Pacific Ocean, with the final ground track not passing over India.
The re-entry occurred at approximately 14:42 IST, just 124 days after the rocket body was launched. The ISRO emphasized that the post-mission orbital lifetime of the cryogenic upper stage is fully compliant with the “25-year rule” for low-Earth orbit objects, as recommended by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).
Prior to re-entry, the upper stage underwent “passivation” to remove all residual propellant and energy sources, in accordance with the space debris mitigation guidelines set by the United Nations and IADC. This procedure aims to minimize the risks of accidental explosions.
The ISRO highlighted that the passivation and post-mission disposal of the rocket body align with internationally accepted guidelines, which further demonstrates India’s commitment to preserving the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission remains unaffected by the re-entry of the rocket body, as it had already completed its objective of injecting the spacecraft into the intended orbit.
