Last week, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) released guidelines on the planned re-entry of space objects, prescribing when operators need authorisation, how risks must be assessed and the safety conditions that must be met before controlled re-entry missions can take place.
The guidelines establish a regulatory framework for entities seeking to intentionally bring satellites, launch vehicles and other space objects back to Earth in a controlled manner at the end of their missions. The guidelines set out requirements related to safety, liability and environmental risks and form part of the implementation of the Indian Space Policy, 2023.
Here’s a look at what the new guidelines say:
What is planned re-entry?
According to the guidelines, “planned re-entry” means the return of a launched space object, or its “re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere with an intent to control or configure (partially or throughout), the landing area, time or trajectory of Re-entry through suitable measures.”
Simply put, planned re-entry refers to a controlled return of a spacecraft to Earth, where its landing area and re-entry path are deliberately managed.
This is distinct from uncontrolled re-entry, where defunct satellites or other space objects naturally decay from orbit and burn up in the atmosphere without active control.
What do the guidelines say?
The guidelines’ key provisions include:
Mandatory authorisation
Any Indian entity planning the controlled re-entry of a space object, whether within or outside Indian territory, needs to get authorisation from IN-SPACe.
Furthermore, non-Indian entities seeking to undertake planned re-entry within Indian territory can do so only through an Indian-incorporated entity, which will be responsible for complying with Indian laws and national security requirements.
When is separate approval required?
The guidelines say that only space objects that are designed to survive re-entry or are intentionally planned for controlled re-entry require separate re-entry authorisation. Moreover, spacecraft that are expected to “burn up, melt, fragment or are otherwise destroyed” during atmospheric re-entry as part of their post-mission disposal plan do not require separate approval.
Risk threshold
The guidelines also specify a risk threshold for planned re-entry. They say operators must ensure that planned re-entry is carried out in a manner that minimises risks to people, property and the environment, and that the expected casualty risk from a re-entry mission must remain below one in 10,000. Applicants must submit technical analyses demonstrating compliance with this threshold.
Technical documentation
Applicants seeking re-entry authorisation are required to submit detailed information about the mission, including the re-entry trajectory, mission profile, de-orbit strategy, various failure scenarios, fragmentation and survivability analyses, ground casualty and reliability assessments, identification of impact or danger zones, and measures proposed to mitigate risks.
Approval timeline
The guidelines say that if a planned re-entry is disclosed during the initial application for establishing and operating a satellite or spacecraft, IN-SPACe will evaluate the proposal and later re-verify the latest re-entry parameters around three months before the activity.
However, if the decision to undertake controlled re-entry is made after launch, operators must apply at least six months before the planned re-entry.
NOTAM and liability requirements
Before a planned re-entry, operators must obtain an advisory note from IN-SPACe to facilitate the issuance of Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) and maritime danger-zone notifications. They are also required to comply with third-party liability and insurance requirements, and may have to amend their authorisation if there are changes to the re-entry timeline, trajectory or impact zone.
