Assam to get Isro radar capable of tracking 10cm objects in space

Guwahati: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will soon establish key infrastructure in Assam as part of its highly anticipated NETRA (Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis) project, aimed at enhancing India's space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities.

In this regard, Assam's minister of science and technology, Keshab Mahanta, along with Isro chairman V Narayanan, conducted a reconnaissance visit on Wednesday to the Chandrapur area near Guwahati, which has been proposed as the site for establishing this critical infrastructure for the Indian Space Programme.

The NETRA project was first announced in 2022 by minister Mahanta on his official social media platform ‘X'. This announcement followed his visit to the proposed site for inspection, where he reviewed the project's potential infrastructure and operational plans.

Addressing the media, the ISRO chairman spoke about the project's potential, stating that the collaboration will be coming in a big way, through a network of radars which are going to monitor all objects in space. Narayanan said, "The radars would be able to detect objects up to 10cm in radius at distances of up to 2000 km."

He further added that the infrastructure is expected to become fully operational within the next four years.

In a post on X, the space agency stated that this multi-purpose facility will help India ensure the safety of its space assets while also supporting Indian weather advisory services. The post highlighted minister Mahanta's promise of full support from the state government for the endeavour and shared his vision of establishing a space museum in the area for the benefit of students and the public.