The IIT-Bombay-led 'Daksha' mission is a cutting-edge Indian space initiative aiming to develop and launch two satellites equipped with the world's most powerful space telescopes. This ambitious mission is designed to cover a vast volume of space—1.81 million cubic megaparsecs—about five times more than NASA's current Fermi Gamma Ray Telescope. Its primary scientific objective is to study high-energy astrophysical phenomena such as gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and the electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave (GW) sources including neutron star mergers and black holes.

The project is a collaborative effort involving several premier research institutions: IIT-Bombay leads the mission in partnership with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Raman Research Institute (RRI), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA). ISRO identified Daksha as a top candidate during its 2018 call for new space missions and has provided seed funding; the mission has met all technical requirements as of December 2022, though full financial and policy approval is still pending.

Each Daksha satellite will carry multiple types of sensors that collectively cover a wide energy range from 1 keV to more than 1 MeV, employing Silicon Drift Detectors, Cadmium Zinc Telluride detectors, and specialised scintillators. The dual satellites will orbit on opposite sides of Earth, allowing nearly continuous, all-sky coverage—about 85% sky coverage combined—enabling rapid detection and localisation of transient high-energy events. Quick onboard processing will broadcast alerts within about one minute to the global scientific community for prompt follow-up observations.

Beyond detecting gamma ray bursts, Daksha will illuminate core questions about the universe’s origins, expansion, and the nature of extreme astrophysical processes. It will complement gravitational wave detectors by confirming and characterising electromagnetic signals from cosmic collisions of neutron stars and black holes—phenomena that provide insights into fundamental physics. Additionally, Daksha is uniquely positioned to probe primordial black holes, fast radio bursts, magnetar flares, solar phenomena, and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.

Professor Varun Bhalerao of IIT-Bombay, principal investigator of Daksha, emphasises that with the shifting priorities of NASA and Western space agencies—no major telescope launches since 2008—India has a strategic opportunity to take leadership in deep space exploration. He urges swift approval and deployment to avoid ceding ground to global competitors like China.

The mission concept has been developed over several years with robust student and faculty involvement at IIT-Bombay’s STAR Lab, fostering interdisciplinary innovation. If officially approved soon, the satellite construction and launch could be completed within three years, marking a significant leap for India in high-energy astrophysics and space science presence on the world stage.

Daksha represents a technologically mature, scientifically ground breaking mission that positions India at the forefront of deep space high-energy astronomy, capable of addressing some of the most profound cosmic mysteries, and contributing decisively to global astrophysics research.

Based On TOI Report