New Delhi, November 6: India has unveiled an ambitious plan to make its space activities debris-free by 2030, marking a major step towards ensuring safer and more sustainable space exploration. Under the proposed 'Swachh Space' vision, the country aims to prevent the creation of new orbital debris and develop technologies to remove existing space junk.
Union Minister of State for Science Jitendra Singh announced the initiative on November 5, highlighting India's growing capabilities in space debris management. The vision is part of the broader Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM), which seeks to ensure that government agencies and private companies involved in Indian space activities do not generate new orbital debris by 2030.
The challenge is significant. According to estimates, more than 100 million pieces of human-made debris are currently floating in Earth's orbit. These include defunct satellites, discarded rocket stages and fragments from past collisions and explosions. Travelling at speeds exceeding 25,000 kilometres per hour, even tiny fragments can cause serious damage to operational spacecraft.
According to government figures, India currently has 129 trackable debris objects in orbit originating from its space activities. These include 23 defunct satellites in Low Earth Orbit, 26 inactive satellites in Geostationary Orbit, 47 spent rocket stages and 33 fragments generated by the breakup of an earlier PSLV rocket body.
Although India's contribution represents less than one per cent of the global tracked debris inventory, the government recognises the growing threat to satellites and future space missions.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has already introduced several measures to minimise orbital pollution. These include reserving fuel for post-mission disposal, lowering satellites towards Earth's atmosphere after their operational life and incorporating additional fuel margins into spacecraft and launch vehicle designs.
India is also strengthening its space surveillance capabilities through the NETRA programme, which monitors orbital conditions, predicts possible collisions and helps protect operational satellites. The initiative is supported by ISRO's Space Situational Awareness Control Centre.
Another important development is emerging from the private sector. Hyderabad-based start-up Cosmoserve Space has established a facility dedicated to developing technologies for satellite servicing, in-orbit logistics and debris removal.
The company is working on a Dual Spacecraft Architecture involving a larger Orbital Service Station and a smaller Autonomous Service Vehicle. The proposed system could inspect, repair, refuel and potentially remove defunct satellites from orbit.
Cosmoserve has also raised $6 million in seed funding, taking its total funding to more than $9 million. The company estimates that its approach could reduce satellite servicing costs from around $10 million to less than $1 million per satellite.
India has also demonstrated important technological capabilities through its SpaDeX mission, which successfully tested autonomous rendezvous, docking and undocking in 2025. These technologies are considered essential for future satellite servicing and debris removal operations.
With thousands of additional satellites expected to enter orbit in the coming years, India's 'Swachh Space' vision highlights the growing importance of protecting Earth's orbital environment. The 2030 target could position India not only as a major spacefaring nation but also as an important contributor to global space sustainability.
Reader Comments 0