Now Reading: Assam in final stage to launch own satellite AssamSAT
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Assam in final stage to launch own satellite AssamSAT
Assam is in the final stage of selecting a private partner to launch AssamSAT, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. The state claims it will become the first in India…
Assam is in the final stage of selecting a private partner to launch AssamSAT, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday. The state claims it will become the first in India to own an earth observation system, moving from a user of satellite data to an active participant in the space-tech ecosystem.
The satellite will be developed under the DBLOTT model, Design, Build, Launch, Operate, Train and Transfer. It is intended to support faster, data-driven governance in agriculture, disaster management, infrastructure development, border security and police operations.
Former Finance Minister Ajanta Neog had announced the satellite in the 2025-26 state budget. The project is being pursued in collaboration with IN-SPACe, the Department of Space's authorisation centre.
Indian Opinion Analysis
A state-owned earth observation satellite is a first for India, but the model follows the central government's push to open space to private players under the 2020 space sector reforms. IN-SPACe, the single-window agency for private participation, will be the nodal body for approval. Assam's geography, prone to floods, with a porous international border and a large tea-growing belt, makes continuous satellite data directly useful for disaster response, border monitoring and crop assessment. What remains to be seen is whether the DBLOTT model will keep the asset under state control after the private partner's contract ends, and how the state plans to fund the recurring cost of ground operations.
Source: indiatoday.in
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
