The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will get a boost to its radar and satellite tracking capabilities with a new facility coming up in Chandrapur near Guwahati.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone of this facility in presence of V Narayanan, ISRO chairman, and other senior space scientists on September 21.

ISRO on Thursday said that the newest facility is being established as part of ISRO’s Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) and will contribute towards improving Space Situational Awareness. This awareness is essential in tracking space assets and protecting it from colliding with space debris. ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) is the nodal agency in setting up this facility equipped with advanced radar technologies. Once operational, the Guwahati-based facility will contribute in improving the ionospheric and atmospheric observations, weather monitoring, for cloud observations and space weather studies.

“The facility will enable scientists to observe and understand important processes in the atmosphere and near-Earth space environment, support improved weather prediction, space-weather assessment, communication and navigation studies and future space mission and application,” ISRO said on Thursday. Further, this facility also has wide-scale applications in flash-flood and urban-flood monitoring warnings, improving thunderstorm and lightning nowcasting, guiding aviation services, thereby supporting both regional and national requirements.