ISRO to build Advanced Radar Research Centre in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has laid the foundation stone for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Advanced Radar Research Centre in Chandrapur, near Guwahati. The facility is being established as part of Project NETRA (Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis) to enhance India’s space situational awareness.

The center will utilize a phased-array radar system designed to track orbital debris, spent rocket stages, and defunct satellites. This technology is intended to protect vital national space assets by monitoring objects as small as 10 cm at ranges up to 1,500 km. Unlike optical telescopes, the radar system can function during darkness or heavy cloud cover.

The project, managed by ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), is expected to foster a space science and research ecosystem in Northeast India. The state government has allocated approximately 200 bighas of land for the site. The first radar for cloud research is anticipated to be operational by February 2027.