ISRO Intends To Reused Dead Rocket For Science Experiments

ISRO is currently running research for the unique technology that might be able to revive dead rocket in space. Although the dead rocket is mostly treated as space junk, ISRO maintains their belief that they are still useful. The organization is currently working on the technology which will reuse its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’s last stage (PSLV) for experiments in space.

A rocket launch

The demonstration for this system can be enabled when the organization launches its rocket, the PSLV C44 in January. In general, the last stage of the rocket is considered dead after its release of the primary satellite into space. Then it is classified as space debris. However, with the new technology, the last stage of the rocket will now remain in the similar orbit as the discharged satellite.

According to K Sivan – ISRO chairman – ISRO is currently working on the new technology which will enable the reuse of the last stage of PSLV in a six-month-period after its being deployed. The last rocket stage, also called the PS4, will be used as the second satellite in order to lower the cost of space-experimenting as a company won’t have to deploy any other rocket for that purpose.

Sivan, while explaining the technology, claimed that India is the only known country in the world that is working on the new technology: ISRO plan to revive the dead PS4 alive implementing a system that includes solar panel and batteries. Moreover, the PSLV C44 is arranged to bring a micro-satellite to work as a primary satellite in January.

Like the aforementioned, after being separate from the primary stage of the PSLV, the rocket’s last stage remains active, and it will be used as the experimental platform for advanced space technologies. Scientists or students major in space studies can attach their nano- or micro-satellite onto the PS4 and conduct their experiments even after the separation of the primary stage.

Sivan stated that they could implement the same technology on the GSLV rockets as well. Also, he further confirmed that there will soon be invitations from the agency for space scientists and students to exploit their technologies.

Most of the world-renowned space agencies only use rockets once to send their satellites into space, however, SpaceX – an agency established by Elon Musk – is the exception by its method of recycling the first stage of the rockets. Unlike SpaceX, ISRO works on reusing the rocket's last stage. SpaceX recovers only its first stage and has never tested on the last stage on their Falcon9 rockets.