India currently tracks 129 pieces of space debris in orbit originating from its own missions, a figure confirmed by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on 18 March 2026. These objects pose growing risks to operational satellites and future space endeavours, reports India Today.

The debris comprises 23 defunct satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and 26 in geostationary orbit (GEO). Rocket bodies from ISRO's PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 launches contribute significantly, with 40, 4, and 3 pieces respectively. Notably, 33 fragments stem from the breakup of the PSLV-C3 rocket body.

ISRO publishes the Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) annually to monitor and analyse this data meticulously. This transparency helps in assessing orbital clutter and planning mitigation.

Space debris now extends beyond mere collision hazards; recent research highlights how re-entering objects, such as those from SpaceX, release toxic lithium into Earth's atmosphere, underscoring the urgency for global action.

To counter this, the government aligns India's policies with international standards from the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS).

ISRO leads these efforts through the Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM), launched in 2024. This initiative targets zero new debris generation by Indian space actors—government and private alike—by 2030. Key to this is incorporating fuel margins in mission designs for controlled de-orbiting.

Collaboration forms a cornerstone of ISRO's strategy. The agency partners with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and JAXA on joint workshops and training programs. As an IADC member, ISRO has actively shaped updated mitigation guidelines. These international ties enhance spaceflight safety and knowledge sharing on debris tracking.

Technological innovation drives progress too. ISRO advances research into robotic arms and rendezvous operations as precursors to active debris removal. The 2025 SpaDeX mission marked a milestone, demonstrating autonomous rendezvous, docking, undocking, a relocatable robotic arm, and a robotic manipulator. Such capabilities could soon enable capturing and de-orbiting defunct objects.

For defunct LEO satellites, ISRO employs orbit-lowering manoeuvres at mission end to hasten atmospheric re-entry. Upcoming satellites will allocate fuel specifically for de-orbiting during design phases. This proactive passivation prevents uncontrolled breakups.

Central to these efforts is the NETRA project, with a sanctioned budget of ₹509.01 crore and ₹67.77 crore expended by February 2026. NETRA's control centre handles collision avoidance recommendations, tracks re-entries, and processes data from the Multi-object Tracking Radar (MOTR) at Sriharikota. Since 2022, the Indian Space Situational Awareness and Management Centre (IS4OM) has coordinated long-term sustainability.

IS4OM also bolsters Indian start-ups via the IN-Space programme, fostering debris management innovations. These measures collectively position India to safeguard its expanding space assets amid a crowded orbital environment. By 2030, the zero-debris goal could set a benchmark for responsible spacefaring nations.

India Today