India’s Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter carried out a manoeuvre in September to forestall a detailed encounter with the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), formally often called Danuri, in response to the Indian Area Analysis Organisation (ISRO). The adjustment carried out on September 19, 2024, was essential to keep away from a possible collision between the 2 orbiters, which was projected for 2 weeks later if no modifications have been made to Chandrayaan-2’s trajectory.
Following this, on October 1, 2024, one other orbital modification was applied to take care of separation from different lunar orbiters, together with NASA‘s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), as per an ISRO report.
Frequent Collision Dangers Amongst Lunar Orbiters
Across the lunar poles, orbiters equivalent to Chandrayaan-2, Danuri, and LRO share the same near-polar path, growing the chance of shut approaches. Over the previous 18 months, the Korea Aerospace Analysis Institute (KARI), which operates Danuri, reported having obtained over 40 collision alerts for interactions amongst Danuri, Chandrayaan-2, and LRO. These alerts, known as “crimson alarms,” underscore the rising threat of unintentional collisions as a number of worldwide companies function missions in shut proximity across the Moon.
Beforehand, in 2021, Chandrayaan-2 reportedly averted the same scenario by shifting its path, stopping a detailed go by LRO that will have introduced the 2 inside simply three kilometres. Danuri itself has carried out at the very least three orbital changes because it entered lunar orbit in December 2022, together with avoiding each LRO and Japan’s Sensible Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM).
Lack of Unified Collision Protocols in Lunar Operations
At current, no globally coordinated protocol exists for managing collision dangers across the Moon. Area companies like ISRO, KARI, and NASA depend on direct communication, sharing spacecraft place knowledge by means of e mail and teleconferences. Nonetheless, in response to Soyoung Chung, a senior researcher with KARI’s technique and planning crew, difficulties equivalent to community safety obstacles and an absence of personnel contact info have, at occasions, difficult communication.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory supplies the Multimission Automated Deep-Area Conjunction Evaluation Course of (MADCAP) software program, which estimates and warns of collision dangers. Nonetheless, consultants like Chung have prompt the necessity for a proper worldwide framework for managing shut approaches across the Moon.
