ARIES, DRDO lab sign MoU to boost India’s space situational awareness

It marks a significant step in India’s efforts to enhance its space monitoring capabilities, aligning scientific research with national security objectives

Dehradun: In a significant step toward enhancing India’s capabilities in space surveillance, the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, and the Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehradun, which is a laboratory of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at IRDE’s facility in Dehradun.

The MoU signed on Tuesday aims to leverage ARIES’ advanced observational facilities.

The collaboration marks a significant step in India’s efforts to enhance its space monitoring capabilities, aligning scientific research with national security objectives.

The MoU was signed by Dr Manish Kumar Naja, director of ARIES, and D Ajay Kumar, director of IRDE, in the presence of Dr Brijesh Kumar and Dr TS Kumar from ARIES, and Ruma Dhaka, Dr Sudhir Khare, Dr Manavendra Singh, Abhijit Chakraborty, and Bharat Ram Meena from IRDE on Tuesday.

The collaboration unites ARIES, a leading astronomy and astrophysics research institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), with IRDE, a DRDO laboratory specialising in electro-optical surveillance systems.

The MoU signed on Tuesday aims to leverage ARIES’ advanced observational facilities, including the 3.6m Devasthal Optical Telescope and ST Radar system, alongside IRDE’s expertise in developing surveillance technologies for ground, naval, airborne, and space platforms.

The partnership will focus on strengthening ground-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA) through several key initiatives, like utilising ARIES’ observational facilities for monitoring and acquiring data on space objects.

This strategic alliance between two premier Uttarakhand-based institutions is expected to foster innovation in space surveillance and ground-based astronomy.

ARIES is a premier research institute in the field of astronomy, astrophysics and atmospheric sciences and hosts state-of-the-art national observing facilities including the 3.6 m Devasthal Optical Telescope and ST Radar system.

IRDE is a leading institution engaged in the design and development of Electro-Optical surveillance systems for the Armed Forces across ground, naval, airborne, and space platforms.