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Project NETRA

ISRO's space-debris tracking system From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Project NETRA
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Project NETRA (Network for space object TRacking and Analysis) is an indigenous space-situational-awareness (SSA) initiative of ISRO. Announced publicly in September 2019,[1] the programme gives India an independent capability to monitor, catalogue and predict orbital debris and near-Earth objects that could endanger Indian satellites.

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ISRO’s Mission Operations Complex (MOX-1) at ISTRAC, Bengaluru – central hub for Project NETRA

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Background

Orbital congestion has intensified with mega-constellations and anti-satellite tests, raising collision risk for India’s fleet of more than 50 operational satellites.[2] Until NETRA, ISRO relied largely on publicly available data from the United States Space Command. A 2021 internal report noted that ISRO carried out 19 collision-avoidance manoeuvres that year, up from three in 2015.[3]

Development timeline

  • 2015 – Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR) commissioned at Sriharikota as a precursor SSA asset.[4]
  • 2019 – Project NETRA formally sanctioned with an initial outlay of ₹400 crore.[5]
  • 2020 – The dedicated SSA Control Centre “NETRA” at ISTRAC, Bengaluru, inaugurated by then ISRO chairman Dr K. Sivan alongside multiple industry dignitaries.[6]
  • 2024 – ISRO released its first Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) compiled using NETRA data.
  • 2025 – ISRO chairman Dr V. Narayanan inspected the Chandrapur (Assam) radar site; construction of India’s first dedicated debris-tracking phased-array radar began.[7]
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Architecture and capabilities

Project NETRA integrates:[8]

  • Phased-array radars – including MOTR and the forthcoming Chandrapur system.
  • Optical telescope network – High-altitude observatories at Ponmudi, Mount Abu and Leh reach apparent magnitude 14.
  • Data fusion & control centre – Operated by the Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM) under Dr A. K. Anilkumar, the Bengaluru hub ingests sensor data, correlates orbits, predicts conjunctions and issues alerts.[9]

Sensors can detect debris as small as 10 cm in low Earth orbit (LEO) and larger objects in geosynchronous orbit (GEO).

Strategic significance

NETRA strengthens India’s technological self-reliance while enhancing national security. An indigenous catalogue reduces reaction time for collision-avoidance and supports planned debris-removal missions and human-spaceflight programmes.[10]

International context

India shares SSA data with global partners and participates in the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). Analysts view NETRA as elevating India to peer status with the United States, Europe and Japan in cooperative SSA.[11]

Future plans

ISRO intends to:

  • Deploy additional radars for nationwide all-weather coverage.
  • Integrate NETRA with the Debris-Free Space Missions (DFSM) initiative targeting zero-debris launches by 2030.[12]
  • Explore active debris-removal technologies with domestic start-ups.

See also

References

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