India Plans to Develop ‘Bodyguard Satellites’ to Identify & Counter Threats of Orbiting Assets under a Satellite-Protection Project

By R Anil Kumar

Bengaluru. India is embarking on a new initiative to create “bodyguard satellites” designed to protect its space assets from potential adversarial actions. This development follows heightened concerns in 2024 after a foreign satellite manoeuvred within just 1 kilometre of an Indian satellite in low Earth orbit.

Although no collision occurred, the incident was regarded as a demonstration of hostile capabilities, prompting New Delhi to strengthen space security measures.

India’s growing dependence on space assets for communications, navigation, reconnaissance, and intelligence makes them critical for both civilian and military operations.

The close pass in 2024 underscored the vulnerabilities of these satellites, particularly in low Earth orbit (500–600 km altitude), which is increasingly crowded with satellites belonging to commercial constellations like Starlink as well as strategic assets of rival nations.

The event heightened concerns that adversaries could deliberately interfere with or disable Indian satellites in a crisis.

The government’s plan involves developing dedicated satellites capable of monitoring, manoeuvring, and intervening to protect high-value Indian spacecraft.

These escort or bodyguard satellites are expected to carry sensors for surveillance, propulsion systems for rapid repositioning, and possibly countermeasure technologies to deter or disable threats. The project aligns with India’s broader effort to integrate space situational awareness (SSA) with active defensive measures to secure its strategic assets.

This program ties into a ₹270 billion ($3 billion) initiative already approved to deploy about 50 new surveillance satellites. The first of these is scheduled for launch next year.

These platforms will enhance border security, track adversarial military movements, and contribute to intelligence gathering.

Together with bodyguard satellites, they form a layered structure of surveillance and protection, crucial in a region marked by competition with China’s rapidly expanding satellite fleet and Pakistan’s growing but still limited capabilities.

Experts emphasize that in-orbit defence systems cannot function in isolation. Comprehensive ground-based infrastructure—such as radar systems, optical telescopes, and machine learning-enabled tracking networks—will be critical to provide early warning of close approaches or deliberate threats.

India currently lacks an around-the-clock in-orbit monitoring capability, but several domestic start-ups are exploring solutions to strengthen this area, complementing ISRO’s existing Deep Space Network and mission control facilities.

India currently operates over 100 active satellites, significantly ahead of Pakistan’s 8 but dwarfed by China’s fleet of over 930 satellites, which include sophisticated military reconnaissance, communication, navigation, and anti-satellite (ASAT)-oriented systems.

The imbalance highlights the urgency for India to not only expand the quantity of its space assets but also to protect high-value satellites against interference or attacks, an area where China has already demonstrated advanced capabilities.

ISRO’s satellite assets have been directly involved in supporting India’s security during past conflicts. During heightened tensions with Pakistan, more than 400 ISRO scientists worked continuously to manage Earth observation and communication systems, a public acknowledgment of how deeply integrated space operations are with national defence readiness.

The creation of bodyguard satellites can be viewed as an extension of this defensive posture, ensuring India’s satellites remain secure in both peacetime competitions and wartime contingencies.

India’s initiative positions it among a small group of nations considering defensive satellite constellations as part of space warfare preparedness. While still in the conceptual stage, the bodyguard satellites could mark a decisive step in India’s progression from being a regional space power to a space security actor capable of countering both kinetic and non-kinetic threats in orbit.

Future developments will likely involve cooperation between government agencies, ISRO, the Defence Space Agency (DSA), and private space start-ups to create a cohesive security ecosystem in space.

What Are These Bodyguard Satellites That India Looks to Employ in Safeguarding Its Space Assets?

The Indian government wants to develop these so-called bodyguard satellites to identify and counter threats to orbiting spacecraft.

As India intensifies efforts to protect its growing network of space assets, the nation is considering the deployment of specialised ‘bodyguard’ satellites designed to shield critical orbital infrastructure from emerging threats. This strategic initiative, still under development, responds to increasing concerns over vulnerabilities in space, particularly following a near-miss incident in mid-2024 that underscored the risks posed by hostile manoeuvres in orbit.

According to reports these bodyguard satellites would act as vigilant sentinels, orbiting alongside India’s vital satellites to provide real-time threat detection and rapid response capabilities. Equipped with cutting-edge sensors, these protective spacecrafts aim to counter risks such as signal jamming, cyberattacks, or physical interference from adversarial satellites, ensuring the safety of assets critical to national security and civilian applications.

The Indian government wants to develop these so-called bodyguard satellites to identify and counter threats to orbiting spacecraft. These spacecrafts are central to modern space warfare concepts, featuring high-level manoeuvrability and are pre-positioned to protect high-value military satellites. In close proximity, they can detect weak-points of threat satellites and counteract with robots or lasers, providing surveillance and protection of space assets.

While detailed designs remain confidential, the proposed bodyguard satellites are expected to feature advanced technologies like Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems. These laser-based sensors would generate precise 3D maps of nearby orbital objects, enabling faster and more accurate threat detection compared to conventional radar. Integrated with an enhanced ground-based tracking network, including upgraded radars and optical telescopes, these satellites would provide continuous monitoring and the ability to manoeuvre protected assets out of harm’s way.

The bodyguard service uses small satellites with on-orbit space domain awareness capability to identify and characterise threats which could harm government or commercial critical infrastructure, offering real-time monitoring of the space environment and ubiquitous coverage around critical assets

The initiative is part of a broader Rs. 27,000 crore (approximately $3.2 billion) program to bolster India’s space defences, which includes plans to launch around 50 dedicated surveillance satellites by the end of the decade. The first of these bodyguard satellites could be operational as early as 2026, with ISRO collaborating with private startups to accelerate development. “We currently lack round-the-clock in-orbit tracking capabilities, but innovative startups are stepping up to bridge this gap,” said Sudheer Kumar N, a former ISRO director now consulting independently.

A Wake-Up Call in Orbit

The push for bodyguard satellites stems from a tense encounter in 2024, when an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) satellite in low-Earth orbit (LEO), operating at 500-600 kilometres (311-373 miles), narrowly avoided a collision with a foreign satellite that approached within 1 kilometre. This satellite, used for high-resolution Earth imaging and real-time monitoring with dual civilian and military applications, was at risk in an incident Indian officials suspect may have been a deliberate flex of power by a neighbouring state. The event, which required urgent evasive manoeuvres, exposed the vulnerability of India’s unescorted orbital assets in a crowded and contested space environment.

With over 100 active satellites supporting navigation, communication, and reconnaissance, India ranks among the world’s leading space powers. However, the nation faces growing challenges from regional rivals like China, which operates over 930 satellites, and Pakistan, with eight. During the border skirmish with Pakistan earlier this year, ISRO’s satellites proved indispensable, with over 400 scientists working tirelessly to provide real-time Earth observation and secure communications. Reports also suggest China adjusted its satellite coverage to support Pakistan, heightening India’s concerns about orbital sabotage.

Geopolitical Stakes and Global Context

India’s pursuit of bodyguard satellites reflects a broader shift in its space policy, from a primarily civilian focus to one that prioritises national security. The 2019 Mission Shakti anti-satellite (ASAT) test, which successfully destroyed a target at 300 km altitude, demonstrated India’s ability to counter space-based threats. However, incidents like the 2020 Galwan Valley clash with China have amplified fears of asymmetric warfare extending into space, where satellites could be disabled to disrupt military operations.

Globally, similar concepts are gaining traction. The US Space Force is developing space domain awareness tools, including robotic satellites for inspection and repair, while China and Russia have tested co-orbital systems capable of interfering with or destroying satellites. Indian Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, speaking at a June 2025 seminar, highlighted China’s expanding satellite program as a pressing challenge, urging robust countermeasures.

Challenges and Criticisms

While the bodyguard satellite program aims to enhance security, critics warn it could fuel a space arms race, potentially conflicting with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits nuclear weapons in space but leaves room for conventional systems. Indian officials maintain the initiative is defensive, designed to protect assets rather than escalate tensions.