ISRO rocket debris on Australian shore: rules governing space junk

Source: The post is based on the article “ISRO rocket debris on Australian shore: rules governing space junk”  published in Indian Express on 1st August 2023.

What is the News?

A large object found on the shores of western Australia has been confirmed to be the debris of an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) rocket.

What has ISRO said on this?

As per ISRO, the object was most likely an unburned part of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket that launched a navigation satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation two months ago.

That satellite was launched in the southward direction.

It is possible that one of the parts of the rocket did not burn completely while dropping back into the atmosphere, and fell into the ocean. It could later have been swept towards the Australian shore.

What are the previous instances of space objects falling to the earth

Junk from space objects falling to the earth are not unheard of. Most such incidents involve relatively small fragments from rockets that survive the friction of the atmosphere.

Most recently, in November 2022, large fragments of China’s Long March 5B rocket plunged uncontrolled into the south-central Pacific Ocean.

These fragments were stages of the rocket used to deliver the third and final module of the Tiangong space station.

What are the threats of space objects to the earth?

Falling space junk poses a significant threat to life and property. Even when landing in the oceans (which is more likely due to the Earth’s surface being 70% ocean), large objects can harm marine life and cause pollution.

So far, there have been no recorded incidents of significant damage to inhabited areas from falling space junk. However, the lack of a controlled system to ensure designated landing is concerning.

What happens if these objects cause damage?

There are international regulations governing space debris which include junk falling back on the earth such as:

Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects: This convention is one of the several international agreements that complement the Outer Space Treaty, the overarching framework guiding the behavior of countries in space. 

– The Convention deals mainly with damage caused by space objects to other space assets, but it also applies to damage caused by falling objects on earth.

– The Convention makes the launching country “absolutely liable” to pay compensation for any damage caused by its space object on the earth or to a flight in air.The country where the junk falls can stake a claim for compensation if it has been damaged by the falling object.

– This provision of the Convention has resulted in compensation payment only once so far — when Canada sought damages from the then Soviet Union for a satellite with radioactive substance that fell into an uninhabited region in its northern territory in 1978.The Soviet Union is reported to have paid 3 million Canadian dollars.