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India’s First Commercial Space Situational Awareness Observatory Will Come Up In Uttarakhand

by Sushmita Mahanta
India’s First Commercial Space Situational Awareness Observatory Will Come Up In Uttarakhand

Digantara, a Bangalore start-up in the space industry, will build India’s first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) observatory in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. The main aim behind building the SSA is to monitor objects as small as 10 cm in size orbiting the planet. The observatory is expected to work alongside the currently planned constellation of space-based sensors and will be a part of Digantara’s network of observational facilities. Read on to know more about India’s first commercial Space Situational Awareness Observatory which is all set to come up in Uttarakhand.

Need For Efficient Collision Avoidance Systems And Space Situational Awareness Observatories

The coming up of India’s first commercial Space Situational Awareness Observatory in Uttarakhand will help India by monitoring satellites and debris in orbits spanning from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), and augment its space-based sensors. The observatory will also help Digantara to supplement its space-based sensors in its mission to monitor satellites and debris in orbits ranging from LEO to GEO.
“This will also bring indigenous capabilities for both military & civilian applications,” said the space start-up firm. Digantara further added that there was a growing need for efficient collision avoidance systems as satellite operators were facing numerous challenges. Talking about the same, Sudhir Nautiyal, director (industries), directorate of industries, Government of Uttarakhand said, “We are proud to support Digantara’s vision and plans in establishing India’s first dedicated SSA observatory in Uttarakhand. Promoting devp of such critical tech & infra is necessary towards building indigenous resilient capabilities & compete on a global stage.”

India’s Upcoming SSA Observatory Will Track Space Activities Above Indian Subcontinent

India’s Upcoming Space Situational Awareness Observatory will have SSA-specific sensors to bridge the data gap observed between Australia and southern Africa. It will track space activities above the Indian subcontinent and provide real-time information. It will circulate supplements to global networks of SSA sensors and provide constant tracking of objects across the planet.
Currently, India has one of its largest and the world’s second highest observatories in Hanle, Ladakh called the Astronomical Observatory. The Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, Radio Telescope Udaipur Solar Observatory, ARIES Observatory, etc are some of the other observatories across India.

Also read: ISRO Unfurls Indian Tiranga On Space To Mark 75 Years Of Independence

First Published: August 31, 2022 2:18 PM