In a first for India, a desi aerospace firm gains in-orbit snooping capability, takes images of ISS

NEW DELHI: In a giant leap for the Indian space sector, domestic aerospace company Azista Space has demonstrated a new indigenous capability in space by taking images of objects in orbit from another satellite, a first by any space company in the country. This is often called “in-orbit snooping or space watch”.

Using its 80-kg earth-observation satellite ABA First Runner (AFR), Azista Space took images of the International Space Station (ISS), which is orbiting at an altitude of around 400 km from the Earth’s surface.

AFR, which was launched in space by SpaceX's Falcon-9 as part of the Transporter-8 mission on June 13, 2023, has already completed 2.5 years in orbit.

In a post of X, Azista Space, which has a manufacturing facility for satellites and payloads in Gujarat’s Sanand, said it has “successfully executed a challenging near-horizon demonstration targeting the ISS. Operating in sunlit conditions at ranges of approximately 250 km and 300 km, the AFR sensor was precisely tasked to track ISS, capturing it in 15 distinct frames. Two independent attempts were conducted, both achieving 100% success.”

“The resulting acquisition resulted in the image with 2.2m sampling, validating our tracking algorithms and imaging precision. To our knowledge, AFR is the only Indian built and operated satellite to have demonstrated such a feat,” said the company, which is Asia’s first private satellite factory that annually produces 50 satellites.

India currently has more than 50 operational satellites — for communication, navigation, earth observation, and surveillance purposes. Protecting these space assets requires timely information about the activities of other satellites in the vicinity, especially during heightened geopolitical tensions.

The rare feat is a key step towards strengthening India's space situational awareness (SSA), which means comprehensive monitoring, tracking and prediction of man-made satellites, space debris, and natural objects (like asteroids) in Earth's orbit. It is critical to ensure the safety and sustainability of space activities by analysing potential collisions and enabling avoidance maneuvers. “Azista Space also brings strong electro-optical payload, image processing and satellite bus engineering capabilities, enabling the design, development, and delivery of end-to-end SSA satellites and payloads tailored to customer mission requirements,” the company said.

The company undertakes design, development, manufacturing and integration of satellites, space-borne systems and payloads, and also manufactures tailored-made satellites and satellite subsystems. Its personnel are also involved in over 12 Isro missions.

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