The cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle, which successfully placed the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into orbit on July 14 this year, experienced an uncontrolled re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
ISRO stated that the likely impact point was over the North Pacific Ocean, and the final ground track did not cross over India. This rocket body was a component of the LVM-3 M4 launch vehicle.
The re-entry occurred at approximately 14:42 IST, within 124 days of its initial launch. ISRO highlighted that the post-mission orbital lifetime of the LVM3 M4 cryogenic upper stage adheres to the “25-year rule” for low-Earth orbit objects as recommended by the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).
