Survey of India (SOI) and Satellite Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, have officially solidified their collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This milestone agreement, signed by Sh. Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana, IAS, SGI, and Sh. Nilesh M. Desai, Director, SAC, Ahmedabad, marks a significant step towards leveraging their respective capabilities in the operation and maintenance of the National Infrastructure for Earth observation.
SOI’s extensive network of Continuously Operating Reference System (CORS) stations, covering the entire country, is equipped to observe Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) satellite data 24×7, providing essential positioning services.
Concurrently, SAC is actively engaged in developing a Space Borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) space mission in collaboration with NASA, focusing on measuring Earth’s surface dynamics.
Under the terms of the MoU, SOI will play a pivotal role in supporting ISRO’s NISAR mission by extending its positioning services, including CORS and other ground reference point data. This collaboration will facilitate necessary calibration and validation work for the NISAR mission.
In return, SAC will contribute to SOI’s initiatives by aiding in the maintenance of the national spatial reference frame (NSRF) and National Digital Elevation Model (NDEM). SAC will share crucial crustal deformation data collected by the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, along with data collected by CORS.
The synergies between SOI and SAC promise to strengthen India’s capabilities in earth observation and spatial data infrastructure. This collaboration not only underscores the shared vision of both organizations but also reflects their commitment to advancing technological frontiers for the benefit of the Nation.
