On Tuesday, a senior advisor to ISRO chairman, Tapan Misra, said that Indian scientists will not do anything no matter what to disgrace India. He said this a day after NASA claimed that debris from India’s anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test has amplified the crash risk to the International Space Station (ISS) by 44 per cent. He also said that the debris from “Mission Shakti” will burn out in the next six months. What is ISRO PSLV-C45/ EMISAT Mission?
HIGHLIGHTS
- ISRO’s Tapan Misra, a senior adviser to Isro chairman said that Indian scientists will not demean Mission Shakti
- Tapan Misra said that the A-SAT missile test was not an explosion but was like a “bullet shot”
- Misra said that India will not do anything intentionally that might result in accidents in space
Mission Shakti 2019
Tapan Misra was present at the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), where other scientist was also present for an open house session on the topic “Indian Human Space Programme and its legal implication”. When Tapan Misra was asked a question which was raised by a student at the Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) about the risk to the ISS, he replied, “It has happened at about 300 kilometres in space where the wind pressure is low, but it is enough to burn them (the debris) down in another six months”. EMISET Mission 2019
All this happened when India’s Mission Shakti again hit the news headlines after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) supervisor Jim Bridenstine condemned India’s launch of an anti-satellite missile (A-SAT) on March 27.
Pentagon says debris from India’s ASAT expected to burn up in atmosphere
The Pentagon said on Thursday that it stood by Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan’s assessment last week that debris from an Indian anti-satellite weapons test would eventually burn up in the atmosphere, despite a subsequent, more negative assessment by NASA.
Recently, Jim Bridenstine called the anti-satellite test a “terrible thing” as it produced around 400 pieces of orbital debris after the A-SAT had shot down a satellite in space. He also said that 24 of the pieces “are going above the apogee of the International Space Station.”
He further added, “That is a terrible, terrible thing to create an event that sends debris at an apogee that goes above the International Space Station. That kind of activity is not compatible with the future of human spaceflight. It’s unacceptable and NASA needs to be very clear about what its impact to us is.”
Misra’s response came as a respite after NASA had warned about a 44 per cent increase in the risk of debris crashing with the International Space Station (ISS).
Isro’s Tapan Misra was quoted by saying that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) experiment was not an “explosion” but more like a “bullet”.
Misra also mentioned China’s 2017 anti-satellite plan and said, “The Chinese did an experiment at 800 km altitude where the air pressure is not much. The debris is still flying around.”
While speaking the open house debate on the subject he said, “Indian Human Space Programme and its legal implication”, Misra said, “Knowing the ability of the Indian scientists, I am sure they have done it the right way, with all calculations and in a way that will not cause any shame to India. Because it is in the 300 km range, it will dissipate much faster.”
Misra also talked about the debris that are still present in the space and said that different nations are observing it through a set-up of radars, cameras and telescopes. He said, “They are cooperating with each other. If you see space debris [in a collision course], you can always change the course of the satellite.”
Misra said that India will never do anything on purpose that might further result in accidents in space.
