An Unclassified Report States ISRO Saved Chandrayaan-2 From Colliding With Korean Orbiter
Recent reports indicate that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully executed collision avoidance manoeuvres for the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter to prevent potential collisions with other lunar spacecraft, particularly the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
In the past 18 months, numerous "red alarms" have been issued regarding potential collisions among lunar orbiters, including Chandrayaan-2, KPLO, and LRO. These warnings are generated through a collaborative system involving NASA's MADCAP platform, which tracks orbital data to assess collision risks.
As of July 2023, Chandrayaan-2 has performed three specific manoeuvres to mitigate risks of close approaches with both LRO and KPLO. These manoeuvres are crucial in maintaining safe distances between the spacecraft in their overlapping orbits around the Moon.
The successful avoidance of collisions highlights the effective coordination among ISRO, KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute), and NASA. This collaboration is essential as more missions are planned for lunar exploration, necessitating robust protocols for orbital management to prevent accidents.
The increasing number of spacecraft in lunar orbit raises concerns about collision risks. Experts emphasize the need for formal international protocols to manage these risks effectively, as current coordination efforts are largely voluntary and not universally adopted by all space-faring nations.
ISRO's proactive measures have successfully safeguarded Chandrayaan-2 from potential collisions with other lunar orbiters, demonstrating the importance of international cooperation in space operations.
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