The PSLV-C37 was launched in 2017 with Cartosat-2D as the main payload and 103 other satellites as co-passengers. The team then created history by launching 104 satellites in a single launch, which included eight Lemur-2 satellites, 88 Flock 3p satellites, INS-1A and 1B, Al-Farabi, BGUSAT, Nayif-1, PEASS and DIDO-2.After ejection of the payloads, the upper stage (PS4) was left in an orbit of around 470×494 km. The ISRO scientists were regularly tracking it and had found that its orbital altitude had started to slowly decay (the loss of orbit), due to atmospheric and gravitational drag effects. The researchers from September 2024, started to monitor the orbital decay using the ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) as a part of their activities and predicted that it would re-enter the earth’s orbit in the first week of October 2024 and that the orbital decay was to the extent of 134×148 km.According to US Space Command predictions, published in Space Track, the re-entry was estimated to take place on October 6 at 3.49 pm, while the IS4OM prediction showed the re-entry to occur at 3.48 pm and 25 seconds on October 6, while the predicted impact point was in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Source link
