India, US to conclude MoU to safeguard satellites from natural, man-made threats

India and the US have decided to conclude by year end an MoU on Space Situational Awareness (SSA), creating a framework for sharing data and services to ensure long-term sustainability of outer space activities in what can protect each other’s satellites from man-made or natural threats.

The issue of expanding bilateral space cooperation figured during PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with the American leadership in Washington last week. The bilateral space cooperation was discussed when Modi met US vice president Kamala Harris, who heads the National Space Council of America.


The Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA), a dedicated control centre for SSA activities set up by Isro in Bengaluru last year, is expected to launch collaboration with the Combined Space Operation Center (CSpOC) at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to protect each other’s satellites from natural and man-made threats, ET has learnt.

The agreement will help NETRA receive from the CSpOC data about space debris and other objects in space and potential threat they could pose to the safety and security of the new launches as well as the existing satellites and other space assets, sources informed.

The US Joint Space Operation Command Center (JSpOC) led to the CSpOC—a US-led multinational initiative involving the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand. It receives inputs from the Space Surveillance Network and shares data with the nations having Space Situational Awareness agreement with the US.