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Following a near-miss incident in 2024 between an Indian satellite and a foreign spacecraft, India has intensified efforts to protect its growing constellation of satellites. Given the critical role of satellites in national security, communication, and economic infrastructure, safeguarding them has become a strategic necessity.

Why Protecting Satellites is Crucial

India’s satellites are vital for a range of civilian and defence functions — from weather forecasting and navigation (NavIC) to internet services, surveillance, and global communications. They underpin sectors such as aviation, shipping, agriculture, and disaster management, while also enabling secure military operations.

However, these assets face increasing threats:

• Space debris and collisions — The expanding number of satellites and fragments in orbit raises the risk of accidental impacts.
• Hostile manoeuvres — Adversarial satellites may shadow or interfere with India’s space assets.
• Cyber threats — Ground stations and networks remain susceptible to hacking, jamming, and spoofing.
• Solar storms and space weather — Events like coronal mass ejections can damage satellite electronics and disrupt signals.

With the high costs of launching and maintaining satellites, ensuring their safety protects India’s technological investment and strategic autonomy.

India’s Ongoing and Planned Initiatives

• IS4OM (ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations and Management): Located in Bengaluru, this centre continuously tracks India’s satellites and provides collision-avoidance alerts, enabling timely orbital manoeuvres to prevent accidents.
• Project NETRA (Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis): An ambitious space surveillance system comprising radars and telescopes to build indigenous Space Situational Awareness (SSA) capabilities. It will allow India to monitor space debris and detect suspicious satellite movements in real-time.
• Aditya-L1 Mission: India’s first solar observatory mission monitors solar storms and radiation patterns, providing early warnings about solar events that could threaten satellite operations.
• ?27,000-crore Surveillance Satellite Programme (2026–2032): India has approved the launch of 52 surveillance satellites to strengthen real-time observation, border monitoring, and space domain awareness — forming the backbone of future space defence capabilities.
• CERT-In Satellite Cybersecurity Guidelines (2025): New cybersecurity protocols mandate strong encryption, network segmentation, and data protection norms to prevent satellite hacking or signal spoofing.
• IN-SPACe Licensing and Regulation: Private players are now integrated into India’s space ecosystem, but under strict safety and cybersecurity standards to ensure the security of the commercial space sector.
• Debris-Free Space Mission (By 2030): Announced at the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) in 2024, India has pledged to adopt sustainable space practices and avoid debris creation during launches and operations.

Emerging Plan: “Bodyguard Satellites”

India is reportedly considering deploying bodyguard satellites — specialised spacecraft that will act as orbital escorts for high-value satellites.

Functions and Features:

• Proximity monitoring: Detect when debris or foreign satellites come dangerously close.
• Threat identification: Track hostile proximity operations or suspicious manoeuvres.
• Protective action: Reposition themselves or guide the protected satellite to avoid collisions or interference.
• Strategic deterrence: Aligns India with global trends where major space powers (like the US, Russia, and China) are deploying similar defensive technologies.

Challenges:

• Technological: Requires advanced sensors, AI-driven autonomy, and ultra-precise orbital manoeuvring systems.
• Financial: High development and launch costs demand sustained investment.
• Cybersecurity: Satellite-ground communication remains a potential vulnerability.
• Geopolitical: May trigger suspicion or an arms race in outer space.
• Sustainability: Increased orbital activity must not worsen the space debris problem.

Way Forward

• Strengthen indigenous SSA: Invest in LiDAR, radar, and optical satellite networks to monitor all orbital zones.
• Enhance anti-jamming and encryption systems: Build resilient, autonomous communication systems immune to interference.
• Public–Private Collaboration: Encourage startups and private firms to co-develop low-cost, high-tech satellite protection tools.
• Global cooperation: Engage actively with international bodies like COPUOS and IADC to promote transparency and responsible behaviour in space.
• Defensive-first approach: Focus on non-weaponised, sustainable defence mechanisms to maintain peace and prevent escalation in outer space.