ARIES-DST and IRDE-DRDO Sign MoU to Strengthen Ground-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA).
MOUs and Agreement
In May 2025, the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous institute under DST, Ministry of Science & Technology, signed an MoU with the Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), a DRDO lab based in Dehradun, to strengthen India’s ground-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities.
- The collaboration aims to leverage ARIES' advanced space observation infrastructure and expertise in astronomy to support IRDE's design of Electro-Optical surveillance systems for defence platforms.
- The MoU was signed by Dr. Manish Kumar Naja, Director of ARIES, and Dr. Ajay Kumar, Director of IRDE, during a formal event held in Dehradun.
- ARIES will provide access to its key national observational facilities, including the 3.6-metre Devasthal Optical Telescope and the Stratosphere-Troposphere (ST) Radar System. These advanced instruments will play a crucial role in supporting the collaborative efforts to enhance space situational awareness and related research.
Main Point :- (i) The partnership will focus on the joint development of Electro-Optics-based systems that serve both astronomy and SSA applications.
(ii) A major objective of the MoU is to develop advanced image processing and data analysis techniques by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies.
(iii) The agreement also includes knowledge exchange, training activities, and capacity building through joint R&D initiatives, further enhancing India’s defence and space research ecosystem.
About Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES)
Director : Dr. Manish Kumar Naja
Headquarters : Nainital, Uttarakhand
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