ARIES and BEL Team Up to Protect Space with New Technology
The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), located in Nainital, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Navaratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). This collaboration aims to develop Space Situational Awareness (SSA) technologies to track and protect space objects, including near-Earth objects and artificial satellites.
The agreement was signed at BEL’s Ghaziabad Unit and is a significant step towards advancing India’s capabilities in space surveillance. This aligns with the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make-in-India’ initiatives. The partnership will focus on predicting and preventing potential collisions between space objects, thereby safeguarding vital space infrastructure.
Under the MoU, ARIES and BEL will utilize data from ARIES’s advanced telescopes, such as the 4m International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT). They will work together on developing image processing techniques, data analytics software, and new instruments and laboratories. Additionally, various training workshops will be organized to enhance skills in SSA, and ARIES will contribute its expertise in space weather.
The MoU was signed by Prof. Dipankar Banerjee, Director of ARIES, and Rashmi Kathuria, GM (SCCS) & Unit Head at BEL. The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Brijesh Kumar, Dr. TS Kumar, and Dr. S. Krishna Prasad from ARIES, along with senior BEL officers Bhanu Prakash Srivastava, Director (OU), Anoop Kumar Rai, CS (CRL-GAD), and Puneet Jain, AGM (Marketing).
Doubts Revealed
ARIES -: ARIES stands for Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences. It is a research institute in Nainital, India, that studies space and stars.
BEL -: BEL stands for Bharat Electronics Limited. It is an Indian company that makes electronic products for the defense and aerospace sectors.
MoU -: MoU stands for Memorandum of Understanding. It is an agreement between two parties to work together on a project.
Space Situational Awareness (SSA) -: Space Situational Awareness means knowing where objects like satellites and space debris are in space to avoid collisions.
Telescopes -: Telescopes are instruments that help us see distant objects in space, like stars and planets, by making them look bigger and clearer.
Image Processing -: Image processing involves using computers to improve and analyze pictures taken by telescopes to get more information.
Data Analytics -: Data analytics is the process of examining data to find useful information, patterns, and trends.
Instruments -: Instruments in this context are tools and devices used to observe and study space objects.
Training Workshops -: Training workshops are sessions where people learn new skills and knowledge, in this case, about Space Situational Awareness.
