Lok Sabha Question No. 1446 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Space Debris Management
Ministry: SPACE
Asked by: Shri Baijayant Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF SPACE

## LOK SABHA

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2024

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1446 SPACE DEBRIS MANAGEMENT

## 1446.  SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the efforts the Government has made to address challenges related to space debris management, space traffic management and sustainable use of space?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH):

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- (a) Recognising the growing importance of Space  Situational Awareness (SSA) for space sustainability, ISRO System for Safe and  sustainable  Space  Operations  Management  (IS4OM)  has been  established  to  focus  all  efforts  related  to  spaceflight safety and debris mitigation and for dealing with the emerging challenges in operating in a congested space environment. Network for Space object TRacking and Analysis (NETRA) has

been approved by GOI for SSA capacity building.

ISRO  adheres  to  the  internationally  accepted  space  debris mitigation guidelines recommended by UN -COPOUS and InterAgency  Space  Debris  Coordination  Committee  (IADC)  to  the maximum possible extent.

For  all  Indian  launch  vehicles,  Collision  Avoidance  Analysis (COLA) is  performed  to  select  collision  threat-free  lift-off  time within the launch window. Continual assessments of any close approach  risk  to  ISRO's  operational  satellites  are  carried  out and  Collision  Avoidance  Manoeuvres  (CAM)  are  performed  as and when needed. In case the object posing close approach risk is another active satellite, the required coordination is carried out  with  the  owner/operator  so  that  only  one  of  the  satellites performs the CAM.  Continual efforts to improve the operational methodologies  for  close  approach  assessment  are  pursued  to adapt  to  the  challenges  posed  by  the  surging  space  traffic, apart from modelling on-orbit break-up events and prediction of atmospheric re-entries of space objects etc.

ISRO contributes substantially to shaping the pertinent guidelines  and  recommendations for  sustainable  use  of  space as an active member of various international agencies dealing with safety and sustainability of outer space activities, such as IADC, IAA (International Academy of Astronautics, ISO (International Organization for Standardization), IAF  (International  Astronautical  Federation),  UN  Long  Term Sustainability Working Group.

The Indian Space Policy places significant importance in space debris mitigation requirements and SSA capacity building.

The recently unveiled Debris Free Space  Mission (DFSM) initiative  is  also  spearheaded  by  ISRO  with  an  aim to  achieve debris-free  space  missions  by  all  Indian  space  actors,  both governmental  and  non-governmental,  by  2030.  The  initiative aligns  with  global  efforts  for  space  sustainability,  positioning India as a nation prioritizing safety, security, and sustainability in outer space activities. ****