POEM-4

Current Context: ISRO successfully completed the controlled re-entry of PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4), reaffirming its commitment to space sustainability and debris management.

Key Highlights:

• Mission Launch: POEM-4 was launched on 30 December 2024 aboard PSLV-C60 as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission.
• Function: Served as PSLV’s upper stage and carried 24 payloads (14 ISRO, 10 non-governmental), including India’s first astrobiology experiments by students from RV College and Amity University.
• De-Orbiting: ISRO engineers maneuvered POEM-4 from 475 km to a safe 350 km circular orbit; passivated fuel to avoid explosion risk.
• Sustainability Commitment: Aligned with ISRO’s Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM) to promote clean space operations and responsible mission planning.
• Significance: Sets a benchmark for future missions in ensuring safe re-entry, scientific utility, and orbital debris mitigation.