CARTOSAT-2
– SCI & TECH
News:
ISRO’s high-resolution
imaging satellite Cartosat-2 bids adieu
What's
in the news?
●
ISRO's (Indian Space Research
Organisation) Cartosat-2 satellite recently completed its mission by safely re-entering
the Earth's atmosphere.
Key
takeaways:
●
Cartosat-2, ISRO’s high-resolution imaging satellite, bid adieu with a descent
into Earth’s atmosphere on February 14, 2024, as predicted.
●
ISRO had lowered its orbit from 635 km to
380 km by early 2020.
●
This strategic move minimized space debris
and underscores ISRO’s commitment to sustainable space exploration.
Cartosat-2:
●
It is ISRO's first satellite in the 2nd
generation of high-resolution imaging satellites.
●
It was launched in 2007, using PSLV- C7 (Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle).
●
It operated in a sun-synchronous polar
orbit at an altitude of 635 km.
●
It was initially designed to provide
high-resolution imagery for urban planning until 2019.
●
It is expected to naturally de-orbit in
about 30 years.
ISRO's
Decision on the Cartosat-2:
●
ISRO's decision to lower Cartosat-2's
perigee using leftover fuel to comply with international guidelines on space
debris mitigation.
●
It complies with recommendations from
organizations like the United Nations
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPOUS) and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination
Committee (IADC).