ISRO Signs Pact with Astrophysics Institute to Set Up Optical Telescopes

NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation has inked a pact with Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) to pave the way for collaboration in establishing optical telescope facilities under Project ‘NETRA’ for tracking space objects. The agency has also tied up with NIT-Karnataka to set up a regional academic centre for space to promote research in space technology.

Under the Rs 400-crore NETRA’ project, an early warning system is being set up in space to detect debris and other hazards that could pose a danger to Indian space assets like satellites and experimental platforms. Like other space powers, NETRA will give the country its own capability in space situational awareness.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Isro and IIA for space cooperation in space situational awareness and astrophysics was signed by Isro scientific secretary R Umamaheswaran and IIA director Annapurni Subramaniam at the Isro headquartes in Bengaluru on January 2. The MoU will boost tie-up between Isro and IIA in setting up optical telescope facilities for space-object tracking, studies related to space weather, asteroids and other near earth objects, an Isro statement said.

In another development, Isro has set up a regional academic centre for space at the National Institute of Technology (NIT-K) at Surathkal in Karnataka’s southwest Dakshina Kannada district. Under the agreeement signed at Surathkal on Friday , the centre will conduct joint research and development in space technology applications to meet the needs of space programmes.

Isro will provide Rs 2 crore grant annually to NIT for R&D projects and promotional activities through the year. A joint policy and management committee will guide the centre in optimal utilisation of the research potential, infrastructure, expertise and experience of the space agency and the autonomous institute. Students of BTech and MTech will be involved in one-year short-term research projects and 2-4-year-long-term projects in advance space programmes. Intellectual property rights generated in projects will be jointly owned by Isro and NIT.

Source: TNN

Image Courtesy: NASA