ISRO: ISRO's RISAT-2 re-enters Earth's atmosphere after 13 and a half years at possible impact point

The RISAT-2 satellite, launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 2009, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere uncontrollably after 13 and a half years at the likely impact point. ISRO said the satellite, weighing only 300 kg, re-entered Earth's atmosphere on October 30 at a possible impact point in the Indian Ocean near Jakarta after being uncontrolled.

The RISAT-2 (Radar Imaging Satellite-2) satellite was designed for four years at an initial stage and carried only 30 kg of fuel. RISAT-2 provided very useful payload data for 13 years with proper orbital maintenance and mission planning by the spacecraft operations team at ISRO, the National Space Agency Headquarters said here. Since its entry into the atmosphere, RISAT-2's radar payload services have been provided for various space applications.

ISRO said that there was no fuel left in the satellite after re-entering the atmosphere. Hence no contamination or explosion is expected from the fuel. Scientists' studies have confirmed that the fragments produced due to aero-thermal fission will burn up upon re-entering the atmosphere and that no fragments will cause any harm to Earth.

ISRO stated that "RISAT-2 is a clear example of ISRO's ability to conduct spacecraft orbital operations in an efficient and superior manner. As RISAT-2 re-entered the Earth's atmosphere within 13 and a half years, it Complied with all required international mitigation guidelines for space debris, which also reflects ISRO's commitment towards long-term sustainability of outer space.