Nellore: A former Isro official, Dr S.V. Subba Reddy, has stated that the IRNSS-1H satellite, whose launch last week had failed, is likely to drift into the earth’s atmosphere in four to five weeks, and expressed the fear that it may not burn up during the intense heat of reentry due to the heat shield covering it.
The eighth satellite of the Indian navigation system NavIC, launched on board a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on August 31 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shar, had remained inside the heat shield atop the fourth stage of rocket in space.
The satellite and the heat shield weigh about 2,400 kg and there will be considerable impact if it explodes on entering the earth atmosphere. One of the reasons for the worry is the 700 kg of propellant (fuel and oxidiser) that was placed in the satellite to take it to its home in space, and to perform orbital manoeuvres later.
Dr Subba Reddy, a former Isro group director, said the satellite was in a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee (farthest point from earth) of 6,500 km and perigee (nearest point to earth) of 164 km. It will gradually drift into the earth’s atmosphere because of the pull of gravity. Dr Subba Reddy said the satellite was not under the control of any ground station.
