In which region of Uttarakhand will India's first ever Commercial Space Situational Awareness Observatory be set-up ?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is (b) Garhwal.

India's first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Observatory is being established in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. This observatory, developed by the Bengaluru-based space start-up Digantara, will enhance India's capabilities in tracking space debris and monitoring satellites, including military ones, over the region. It aims to fill a critical gap in SSA observations between Australia and southern Africa, providing real-time data to safeguard Indian assets and improve global space traffic management operations.

Additional Information:

Space Situational Awareness (SSA) involves the comprehensive knowledge and characterization of space objects and their operational environments. This includes tracking active satellites, defunct spacecraft, and space debris to predict their positions and potential interactions. SSA is crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of space operations by preventing collisions and managing the increasing congestion in Earth's orbit.

The importance of SSA has grown with the rapid increase in satellites and space debris, which pose significant risks to both operational satellites and human spaceflight. Effective SSA enables space agencies and organizations to perform collision avoidance maneuvers, protect space assets, and maintain the long-term usability of space environments.

In India, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has initiated projects like the Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) to enhance SSA capabilities. These efforts aim to monitor space objects, predict potential collisions, and safeguard India's space assets.