In a major milestone, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed a successful re-entry of the PSLV Orbital platform Experiment Module (POEM-4) into Earth's atmosphere. The controlled re-entry took place on April 4, 2025, at 02:33 UTC (08:03 IST), which landed in the Indian Ocean.
The major highlights are listed below:
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Mission Background: POEM-4 was launched on December 30, 2024, aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission.
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Payloads and Operations: Throughout its mission, POEM-4 carried 24 payloads, of which 14 were from ISRO and 10 were from non-government organizations, all of which functioned nominally and provided useful scientific data.
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De-orbiting Process: The module was de-orbited to a near-circular orbit at 350 km altitude with an inclination of 55.2° by means of engine restarts. Excess fuel was vented to avoid accidental break-up.
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Tracking and Monitoring: ISRO's radar infrastructure and the United States Space Command continuously tracked POEM-4. ISRO's System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) monitored its re-entry closely.
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Sustainability Impact: This successful re-entry reaffirms ISRO's dedication to de-orbiting space debris and ensuring sustainable space operations in support of the Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM).
ISRO's success vindicates its effort towards maintaining the long-term viability of the outer space environment.
Source: The Economic Times, The Print, Times of India