GUWAHATI: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to set up a versatile facility in Assam, aimed at bolstering India’s space capabilities and fostering space education in the area.
This facility is expected to play a vital role in protecting India’s space assets and enhancing weather advisory services, while also acting as a central hub for space-related initiatives within the state. Keshab Mahanta, the Minister for Revenue, Disaster Management, IT, Science & Technology, and Climate Change for the Government of Assam, along with V. Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, recently visited the proposed site for reconnaissance.
Following the site inspection, the ISRO chairman announced that a sophisticated radar system would be installed at the NETRA project site within the year. This radar will have the capability to monitor space continuously over a distance of 2000 km and detect objects as small as ten centimeters.
The entire project is anticipated to take four years to complete, enabling ongoing surveillance of satellites, space debris, and potential space-borne threats. Furthermore, the Assam government has suggested the creation of a space museum in the region, a proposal that ISRO has embraced, indicating its readiness to collaborate on this initiative
