New Delhi, August 18, 2026: Indian space technology startup Digantara has unveiled MOSAIC, an artificial intelligence-powered optical sensor network designed to track objects in Low Earth Orbit in real time, as India looks to reduce its reliance on foreign space surveillance data.
The development comes months after Operation Sindoor, during which India relied on a mix of domestic satellite assets, including the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Cartosat and RISAT constellations, and commercial imagery reportedly sourced from US-based Maxar Technologies for target validation and post-strike assessment. While this layered approach proved effective, it also underlined the importance of having independent access to time-sensitive space data.
Owning The Eyes In Orbit
“MOSAIC is what owning that capability looks like,” Digantara said, describing it as a fully indigenous network capable of maintaining continuous orbital awareness.
The first deployment comprises five interconnected sensor nodes that work together as a coordinated surveillance network. Each node combines an Optical Head Unit for precision imaging of the sky with an Electronics Head Unit that handles onboard processing, communications, timing and autonomous operations.
The network has also been designed to function in harsh environments. Its systems can run on solar power with battery backup and withstand conditions ranging from the extreme heat of the Thar Desert to Himalayan winters.
AI Takes On Orbital Watch
At the heart of MOSAIC is an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-driven detection system that can identify stars and Resident Space Objects (RSOs), including faint satellites and orbital debris.
The network uses advanced “Lost-in-Space” attitude estimation techniques to determine the position of objects without prior tracking information. This allows the system to rapidly detect and catalogue targets, India Today reports.
Beyond monitoring objects in space, the technology could support celestial navigation in environments where the Global Positioning System (GPS) is unavailable. Such a capability could have significant military applications.
Building A Resilient Network
“Every big infrastructure problem eventually stops being about having one perfect system and starts being about having many resilient ones,” Digantara Founder and CEO Anirudh Sharma said.
Sharma said the company aims to deploy such sensors globally, allowing it to independently track and catalogue objects in orbit.
MOSAIC expands Digantara's existing space domain awareness infrastructure by integrating ground-based sensors, space-based tracking systems and AI-powered data fusion tools.
Together, these systems are intended to help India monitor satellites, debris and potential threats across orbital regions ranging from Low Earth Orbit to Geostationary Orbit.
Strategic Autonomy In Space
The timing gives MOSAIC wider strategic significance. Operation Sindoor demonstrated the value of combining domestic and commercial space assets, but India's reliance on external imagery also showed why independent surveillance capabilities matter when decisions must be made quickly.
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As geopolitical competition increasingly extends into space, a network capable of independently detecting and tracking objects could strengthen India's ability to maintain its own picture of activity in orbit. MOSAIC could therefore become an important part of the country's push for strategic autonomy in what is fast emerging as another critical security domain.
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