DRDO and DST sign MoU to enhance space situational awareness

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) have collaborated to enhance India’s Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities. On May 14, a memorandum of understanding was signed between DRDO’s Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE) in Dehradun and DST’s Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Nainital.

The partnership aims to utilise ARIES’ observational facilities and scientific expertise in space exploration. SSA involves understanding the space environment, tracking objects in space, and predicting potential collisions. This capability is crucial for India’s expanding space programmes, including satellite docking and manned missions, as well as the increasing use of space-based assets by the armed forces.

The scope of the agreement includes using ARIES’ observing facilities for monitoring and data acquisition on space objects, jointly developing electro-optics-based systems for astronomy and SSA applications, and developing image processing and data analysis techniques using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Knowledge exchange, training, and capacity building through scientific and technical research and development will also be undertaken between the two organisations.

ARIES is a premier research institute in astronomy, astrophysics, and atmospheric sciences, hosting state-of-the-art national observing facilities. IRDE is engaged in designing and developing electro-optical surveillance systems for the armed forces across various platforms.

India