"Another milestone": ISRO rocket accomplishes zero orbital debris mission
Bengaluru (PTI): ISRO on Monday said its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has accomplished zero orbital debris mission, and described it "another milestone".
This was achieved on March 21, when the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) met its "fiery end" through a re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
"The PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission has practically left zero debris in orbit," the space agency said.
The PSLV-C58 mission was accomplished on January 1.
According to ISRO, after completing the primary mission of injecting all satellites into their desired orbits, the terminal stage of PSLV was transformed into a 3-axis stabilised platform, the POEM-3.
The stage was deorbited from 650 km to 350 km, which facilitated its early re-entry, and was passivated to remove residual propellants to minimise any accidental break-up risks, it said.
POEM-3 was configured with a total of nine different experimental payloads to carry out technology demonstrations and scientific experiments on the newly developed indigenous systems. Out of these, six payloads were delivered by Non-Government Entities (NGEs) through Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN'?SPACe).
The mission objectives of these payloads were met in a month.
The orbital altitude of the upper stage continued to decay under the influence of natural forces, primarily atmospheric drag with the module (NORAD ID 58695) expected to have impacted the North Pacific Ocean (Lat 6.4 N & Long 158.7 W) on March 21, 2024, at 14:04 UTC (19:34 Hrs. IST), ISRO said.
Through the POEM, which serves as a very cost-effective platform for carrying out short-duration space-borne experiments, ISRO has opened up new vistas for academia, startups, and NGEs to experiment with their new payloads, it said.
This novel opportunity has been effectively utilised by numerous startups, universities, and NGEs for carrying out experiments in space, which included electric thrusters, satellite dispensers, and star-tracking.
POEM also incorporates new features such as total avionics in single-chain configuration, industrial-grade components in avionics packages including Mission Management Computer, standard interfaces for electric power, telemetry & telecommand, and new in-orbit navigation algorithms making use of rate-gyro, sun sensor, and magnetometer, the space agency said.
For the effective conduct of experiments onboard in POEM-3, the body rates were stabilised to less than 0.5 deg/s throughout, and innovative schemes like controlled dumping of residual propellant after the main mission were introduced for minimizing disturbances due to passivation, it added.
Noting that the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) has taken the lead in conceptualising and realising the POEM by augmenting the 4th stage of PSLV, ISRO said PSLV-C58/XPoSat is the third such mission in the series, with POEMs being successfully scripted each time.
The payload operations were carried out effectively by the spacecraft operations team from the mission operations complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) and ISRO's System for Safe and Sustainable Spacecraft Operations Management (IS4OM) has been monitoring and analysing the orbital decay all through, it said. Till near re-entry, POEM-3 was tracked by ISTRAC ground stations.
The Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) at Shriharikota also tracked the PS4 stage till the morning of March 21. POEM-3 was also supported by other Centres like U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU).
ISRO said it will continue its commitment to providing a cost-effective orbital experiment platform, as the growing menace due to space debris, especially with multiple small satellite constellations coming up, poses a significant threat to space activities, including satellite launches, human spaceflight, and space exploration missions.
ISRO, being a responsible space agency, is committed to mitigating this threat through the development and implementation of advanced debris tracking systems, space-object deorbiting technologies, and responsible satellite deployment practices, thus safeguarding orbital environments for present and future space endeavors, it added.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
