Indian Space programme emphasizes on utilization of space technology for the betterment of the society. Towards realizing this objective, the Government of Orissa with the advice of Dept. of Space, Govt. of India established the Orissa Remote Sensing Application Centre (ORSAC) in 1984 at Bhubaneswar under the Dept. of Science & Technology. Since its inception, ORSAC is acting as the apex body of the state for space technology applications such as Remote Sensing, Communication etc.. ORSAC is now the repository of aerial photos, Satellite image and radar data of past twentyfive years of the entire state. ORSAC is committed to serve the society through better management of all natural resources by giving end-to-end solution for mapping, updating information of all dynamic and static themes using real time satellite data, Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System.

In course of its temporal journey to a silver station, it has set monumental milestone through its involvement in developmental programmes like :

Forecasting Agricultural output using Space Agrometeorology and Landbased Observations (FASAL), Forest inventory/ Assessment/ Monitoring, Forest working plans generation, watershed mapping & management plan generation, Groundwater survey & prospecting, Villagewise Block level Atlas generation, National (Natural) Resources Information System (NRIS), Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD), Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS), Disaster Management System (DMS),Road Database, Natural Resources Census, Wasteland Monitoring, Land Degradation mapping, Administrative boundary database for State Election Commission, Coastal Zone Management, National Wetland Inventory & Assessment, Cadastral based landuse mapping of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Urban Complex, National Urban Information System generation for six towns, Environmental impact assessment of Chilika & other reservoirs, Pre-irrigation soil surveys, Landuse mapping  of mines and industrial area surroundings etc.

ORSAC is also the nodal centre for GRAMSAT  project, a satellite based communication network system that provides interactive facilities to reduce the gap between policy makers and field functionaries.

ORSAC is committed to provide all required database for development planning and monitoring the progress of development at the local level, state level and national level.