ISRO rocket debris on Australian shore: rules governing space junk
Context- A large object found on the shores of western Australia a couple of weeks ago has been confirmed to be the debris of an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO rocket,) the Australian Space Agency said Monday. ISRO has agreed with the assessment, saying the debris could be from one of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rockets.
An ISRO official said the object was most likely an unburnt part of the PSLV rocket that launched a navigation satellite for the IRNSS constellation two months ago.
(Credits- Hindustan Times)
- The Australian Space Agency said it had stored the debris and was working with ISRO, “who will provide further communication to determine the next steps, including considering obligations under the United Nations space treaties”.
- The ISRO official said the agency was still to decide on the future course of action. He said it was premature to say whether an ISRO team would visit Australia to identify the space debris.
Are such incidents normal?
- 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. These usually do not make big news. Also, most of the times, the space junk falls into oceans, thus posing little danger to human populations.
Isn’t it dangerous?
- The threat to life and property from falling space junk is not negligible. Even when falling into the oceans, which is more likely since 70 per cent of the earth’s surface is ocean, large objects can be a threat to marine life, and a source of pollution.
- However, there are no recorded incidents of these falling objects causing any appreciable damage anywhere on the earth. When they have dropped over land, so far, it has been over uninhabited areas.
What happens if these objects cause damage?
- There are international regulations governing space debris, which include junk falling back on the earth. Most space-faring countries are signatories to the 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 behaviour of countries in space. The Liability 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.
- In the current case, if the PSLV junk had caused any damage in Australia, India could have been liable to pay compensation, even if the object fell into the ocean and was then swept to the shores. The amount of compensation is to be decided “in accordance with international law and the principles of justice and equity”.
Syllabus- Prelims; Current Affairs
Source- Indian Express
