Bengaluru: In a breakthrough discovery that marks a major milestone for India’s space programme, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully detected dangerous interplanetary dust particles entering Earth’s atmosphere from deep space.
The finding was made using India’s first indigenously developed space dust detector, DEX (Dust Experiment), deployed aboard the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) launched in January 2024. ISRO describes these microscopic particles as “cosmic intruders” that bombard Earth’s atmosphere once every thousand seconds.
Scientists revealed that the dust particles originate from comets, asteroids, and the regions between planets such as Mars and Venus. On entering Earth’s atmosphere, they form mysterious meteoric layers, often visible at night as star-like flashes across the sky.
Though minuscule in size, researchers caution that these particles can influence Earth’s atmospheric processes and pose serious challenges to satellites and ongoing space missions. Detailed studies are currently underway to better understand their impact. Experts stress that the presence of such dust will now be a key consideration while designing future space missions and protecting sensitive onboard instruments.
This discovery offers valuable insights into the interaction between Earth and interplanetary matter, strengthening India’s capabilities in space weather monitoring and mission safety planning.
The DEX instrument, developed by ISRO’s Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, operates efficiently using just 4.5 watts of power and orbits Earth at an altitude of 350 kilometres, highlighting India’s growing technological prowess in advanced space research.
