After a recent near miss in orbit — when another country’s satellite came within about one kilometre of one of India’s low-Earth orbiting satellites — the Indian government has decided to bolster its space asset protection.
Officials say the risk exposed vulnerabilities in India’s ability to track and counter possible threats in orbital space, whether those are accidental collisions, hostile intents, or proximity operations by foreign satellites.
What the “Bodyguard” Satellite System Might Look Like
- LiDAR-equipped satellites: These satellites would use light detection and ranging technology to precisely sense objects near sensitive orbits
- Integrated detection network: The system would work in tandem with ground-based radars and telescopes to spot threats early and track them continuously.
- Threat identification & countermeasures: Once a hazard is detected (e.g. an uncooperative satellite approaching too close), the system could warn or potentially order evasive maneuvers, object-avoidance, or invoke diplomatic or defensive responses.
Strategic & Technical Implications
- National security: As India’s reliance on space assets for communications, navigation, surveillance, and military operations increases, protecting them from both accidental and intentional threats has become more urgent.
- Space-situational awareness (SSA): The move will likely accelerate improvement of India’s SSA capabilities, which involve tracking all objects in orbit (satellites, debris, etc.) to understand risk.
- Private sector & technological collaboration: Development could involve ISRO, the Department of Space, and possibly private space tech startups to build LiDAR satellites, sensors, tracking systems.
Challenges & What Remains Unclear
- Technology readiness: LiDAR in space, real-time orbital tracking, and rapid threat assessment are challenging. Engineering, precision, and cost will matter a lot.
- Rules of engagement: What counts as a threat, what responses are allowed (evasive maneuvers, active countermeasures), how to avoid reacting aggressively to close flies by, etc., will require clear policy.
- Costs & timeline: In early stages. Government has not publicly confirmed the budget or exact launch schedule.
- International laws and norms: Operating “bodyguard” satellites could raise concerns from other nations about whether they constitute defensive or offensive capabilities; space law, norms of behaviour, and diplomatic transparency might become relevant.
What This Means Going Forward
- India is defining space defence not just as putting satellites up, but ensuring they are safeguarded.
- This initiative may prompt faster development of a military space doctrine or update of existing policy to cover satellite protection, close proximity satellite operations, space collisions etc. The Economic Times
- Rivals and neighbours may perceive this move as escalation, which could trigger similar satellite protection or anti-satellite capabilities elsewhere.
Conclusion
India’s emerging plan for “bodyguard” satellites reflects a recognition that space has become contested, risky, and strategically crucial. The aim is to build a layer of protection around orbiting assets via early detection, tracking, and countermeasures. While many details are yet to be finalized — costs, technical design, timelines, and policy frameworks — this development underscores how national security in the 21st century increasingly extends beyond land and sea, into the orbits above.
