The Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) developed a system called "IS4OM", which is for Safe and Sustainable Operations Management. It is operational since 2022 to safeguard ISRO's space assets and to improve compliance with internationally recognized guidelines on the Long-Term Sustainability (LTS) of outer space activities. In response to ever-growing space object population and the risk of collisions in space, it undertakes observation and monitoring of space objects and space environment, processing the observations for orbit determination, object characterization and cataloguing, analysis of space environment evolution, risk assessment and mitigation, and, data exchange and collaboration.

Prerequisites:

• Institutional & political interest and support for utilising SSA, STM, and Space Weather data, technologies, and applications

• Partnerships with established SSA, STM, and Space Weather data providers

• Access to SSA, STM, and Space Weather data, data processing and analysis capabilities

Cost:

• Ballpark: USD 200k–2M

• Includes: procurement or licensing of SSA/STM datasets (domestic and international), development of algorithms for debris detection and propagation modelling, design of collision avoidance and risk assessment tools, integration of datasets from multiple sources (optical, radar, GNSS, TLEs), establishment of secure IT and data fusion infrastructure, researcher training and academic-industry collaboration, dissemination of results and operationalisation into national SSA strategy

Timeframe:

• Overall: 18–36 mo

• Phase: scoping & requirements definition (3–6 mo), data procurement & system design (6–9 mo), algorithm development & integration (6–12 mo), testing & validation with partner datasets (6–9 mo), operationalisation & reporting (3–6 mo)

Pros:

• Internal Development - Builds local capabilities

• Fosters independence - Limits the need to rely on external entities for the provision of services derived from space downstream capabilities

• Internal Development - Builds local capabilities Fosters independence - Limits the need to rely on external entities for the provision of services derived from space downstream capabilities

Considerations:

• Investment Intensive - Can require significant investment

• Need for Expertise - Requires high levels of expertise and coordination