Bengaluru space start-up unveils AI-powered optical sensor network for monitoring objects in Low Earth Orbit

Bengaluru-based space intelligence firm Digantara has introduced MOSAIC, an AI-driven optical sensor network designed for continuous monitoring of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) objects. The real-time surveillance system aims to decrease India's dependency on foreign commercial providers for critical orbital tracking. The initial deployment consists of five interconnected nodes, each equipped with a self-contained electro-optical sensor system (Optical Head Unit) and an autonomous processing unit (Electronics Head Unit), powered by solar energy with backup batteries for extended operation.

MOSAIC's hardware architecture achieves a balance between sensitivity and a broad field of view, enabling it to detect faint Resident Space Objects (RSOs) across vast sections of the sky. The system employs AI/ML-based techniques to differentiate celestial bodies and RSOs, including the faintest targets, followed by a Lost-in-Space attitude estimation approach that determines RSO positions without prior information or cues.

This capability can also be applied to alternative navigation scenarios, such as celestial navigation in GPS-denied environments.

Digantara highlighted the use of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) assets and commercial imagery from a U.S. company during Operation Sindoor, which involved targeted strikes on terror camps. The integration of domestic and commercial data played a crucial role in post-strike damage assessment and overall target validation. The company emphasized that MOSAIC represents a domestically built platform that reduces India's reliance on foreign players in national security operations.