Mission SCOT | 21 Jan 2025

Source: PIB 

The Prime Minister of India lauded Indian space startup Digantara for the success of Mission SCOT (Space Camera for Object Tracking). 

• Mission SCOT: It is the world’s first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) satellite, launched aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission. 
  • SSA is the tracking and characterization of space objects and their orbits. 
  • Mission SCOT tracks Resident Space Objects (RSOs) as small as 5 cm in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). 
  • It is backed by Aditya Birla Ventures and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). 
• Transporter-12 Mission: It is part of SpaceX's rideshare program, aims to provide cost-effective access to space for multiple customers in a single launch. 
• India's Efforts in SSA: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducts proximity analyses and Collision Avoidance Manoeuvres (CAM) to prevent satellite collisions.  
  • India has a Multi Object Tracking Radar at Sriharikota range, but it has a limited range.  
  • ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Operations Management (IS4OM), provides the annual Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for space environment insights. 
• NETRA Project: Under the Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA), ISRO is establishing a Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) network with advanced radars and optical telescopes to enhance threat analysis and protect space assets. 

 Read more: NETRA Project & Space Junk