In a groundbreaking achievement for India's private space sector, Azista BST Aerospace, commonly known as Azista Space, has successfully demonstrated the capability to image objects in orbit from another satellite. This feat marks the first time an Indian space company has accomplished such a task, enhancing the nation's space situational awareness (SSA) and positioning Azista as a pioneer in indigenous aerospace technology.
Azista Space is grabbing headlines for executing a near-horizon demonstration that targeted the International Space Station (ISS). The company captured the ISS in 15 distinct frames across two separate attempts, achieving 100 percent success under sunlit conditions at distances of approximately 250 km and 300 km. This demonstration underscores India's growing prowess in space technology, particularly in monitoring and tracking orbital activities.
The achievement comes at a time when global space activities are intensifying, with increasing concerns over satellite collisions and space debris. By proving its in-orbit 'snooping' capability, Azista Space is contributing to SSA, which involves monitoring, tracking, and predicting the behavior of satellites and debris to ensure space safety and sustainability.
What has Azista Space accomplished?
The core of this milestone is the ABA First Runner (AFR), an 80-kg earth-observation satellite equipped with a high-resolution sensor capable of 2.2m sampling. Launched on June 13, 2023, aboard SpaceX's Falcon-9 rocket as part of the Transporter-8 mission, the AFR has now been operational in orbit for about 2.5 years.
Utilising a robust electro-optical payload, advanced image processing, and precise satellite bus engineering, the AFR tracked and imaged the ISS with remarkable accuracy. “The resulting acquisition resulted in the image with 2.2m sampling, validating our tracking algorithms and imaging precision,” the company stated.
This operation not only validated Azista's technical capabilities but also highlighted the satellite's ability to perform complex tasks in real-time orbital environments.
This accomplishment represents a significant technological debut for India. According to Azista Space, “To our knowledge, AFR is the only Indian built and operated satellite to have demonstrated such a feat.”
Prior to this, no Indian entity - public or private - had showcased the ability to capture high-resolution images of in-orbit objects from another satellite. This breakthrough aligns with India's ambitions to become a self-reliant space power, reducing dependence on foreign technologies for critical SSA functions. It also opens doors for applications in defense, surveillance, and environmental monitoring.
What is Azista Space?
Founded as Asia’s first private satellite factory, Azista Space operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Gujarat’s Sanand, capable of producing up to 50 satellites annually. The company specialises in the design, development, manufacturing, and integration of satellites, space-borne systems, and payloads.
Azista's expertise extends to tailored SSA satellites and subsystems, with its team having contributed to over 12 missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). As a key player in India's aerospace ecosystem, the firm focuses on areas such as communication, navigation, earth observation, and surveillance.
