🛰️ India’s Space Debris Crisis: Is ISRO Ready for the Next Orbital Cleanup?

🛰️ Why Space Debris Matters for India

With a surge in satellite launches—from ISRO’s PSLV and GSLV missions to commercial satellites—India’s low Earth orbit is increasingly cluttered. As of 2025, over 100 space objects linked to India (including defunct satellites and spent rocket stages) are officially tracked in orbit.

☠️ The Threat of Orbital Junk

Collision risk: Even a small fragment from a rocket body can destroy a satellite or spacecraft at orbital speeds.

Kessler Syndrome: A domino effect where collisions generate more debris, drastically increasing space danger. India can’t afford to be part of this cascade.

🧰 ISRO’s Debris Management Round-Up

Cluster mapping: ISRO tracks Indian and international debris, partnering with UK’s SSTL and space agencies for shared data.

Incineration planning: Future Gaganyaan capsules will perform destructive re-entry to avoid fragmentation.

Tech test beds: ISRO is developing “space tug” concepts and net/grapple satellites to capture defunct objects before they break apart.

🌐 Global Cleanup Initiatives & India's Role

India collaborates with UN COPUOS under the 2030 Space Sustainability Goals.

The country has signed onto the EU’s “ClearSpace” consortium, working on orbital debris removal satellites.

Indian startups are exploring debris-tracking software and green propulsion systems.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This blog post is based on publicly available information from ISRO, UN space reports, and space-tech agencies as of mid-2025. For technical accuracy, refer to official ISRO or COPUOS documents.