After a worrying close call in 2024 involving an Indian satellite and another nation’s spacecraft, India has reportedly started exploring the concept of “bodyguard satellites” to safeguard its orbital assets. This move appears to be part of a much broader, comprehensive strategy encompassing advanced surveillance satellites, radars, telescopes, and cutting-edge technologies like LiDAR.
Modern satellites are indispensable, guiding everything from aircraft and ships to powering our internet, television, and global financial systems. They are also critical for national security, providing essential communication, surveillance, and navigation capabilities for armed forces worldwide. However, with the ever-increasing number of satellites orbiting Earth, the risks they face have also multiplied. Spacecraft are vulnerable to collisions with debris, disruption from radio interference, cyberattacks on ground systems, and even hostile actions by other satellites. Considering the immense investment and complexity involved in launching and maintaining these satellites, ensuring their protection has become a paramount concern for all spacefaring nations, including India.
Navigating the Dangers: Preventing Collisions in Orbit
The physical environment of space harbors dangers that are truly unimaginable on Earth. Even a tiny object, like a discarded screw from a rocket, can become a catastrophic projectile. Traveling at speeds up to 28,000 kilometers per hour, it can punch a devastating hole in a spacecraft, effectively ending its mission.
To mitigate these risks, nations have developed extensive debris-tracking networks. The United States employs the Space Fence, a sophisticated radar capable of detecting objects as small as a marble. Similarly, the European Union operates the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EUSST) system, which provides crucial warnings to satellite operators about potential threats. India, too, has established the Indian Space Situational Awareness and Management (IS4OM) centre in Bengaluru. This vital hub tracks satellites, issues alerts for dangerous close approaches, and coordinates necessary collision avoidance maneuvers.
In fact, Indian satellites performed over 10 collision-avoidance maneuvers in 2023 alone. To bolster these efforts, India’s Project NETRA is actively expanding its capabilities by deploying new radars and telescopes. While the Multi-Object Tracking Radar at Sriharikota offers some coverage, additional sites across the country are under development. It’s important to note, however, that India currently lacks the infrastructure for continuous, round-the-clock space monitoring.
The proposed “bodyguard satellites” currently under consideration by India would be dedicated spacecraft designed to orbit alongside vital assets. Their role would be to continuously monitor for close approaches and potentially even counter hostile maneuvers. While these technologies are reportedly still in the conceptual phase, India’s willingness to explore such advanced defensive systems underscores the gravity with which New Delhi views these escalating space risks.
Addressing Both Physical and Cyber Threats
Satellites rely on radio signals to communicate with Earth, providing crucial data, including navigation services. However, these signals are vulnerable. A strong ground transmitter can jam a satellite’s uplink or downlink, or deceptive “spoofing” signals can trick navigation users into believing false information. Spacefaring agencies worldwide are actively countering these threats by developing resilient waveforms and systems. For example, the U.S. military has created the ‘Protected Tactical Waveform’ for anti-jam communications and launched ‘Advanced Extremely High Frequency’ satellites that operate on frequencies exceptionally difficult to disrupt. Similarly, Europe has introduced Galileo OSNMA, a system that authenticates navigation messages to significantly reduce spoofing risks. The U.S. is also implementing an encrypted GPS M-code for enhanced security.
Consider India’s own regional navigation system, NavIC. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been rigorously testing Navigation Message Authentication (NMA), a system designed to enable receivers to verify the authenticity of signals. Although not yet fully operational, NMA holds significant potential to bolster Indian users’ resilience against spoofing attacks. While details surrounding military satellites are typically classified, it’s highly probable that they incorporate advanced anti-jamming measures like beam-steering antennas and spread-spectrum signals to maintain secure communications.
Despite these advancements, NavIC is currently grappling with significant challenges. Starting in 2016, the satellite constellation experienced multiple atomic clock failures, with nine reported by 2018. To address this, IRNSS-1I was launched the same year to replace IRNSS-1A. However, other satellites like IRNSS-1B and IRNSS-1F are now showing signs of aging. More recently, in early 2025, a critical engine valve malfunction prevented the next-generation NVS-02 satellite for NavIC from reaching its intended orbit after launch. Current industry reports suggest that NavIC is perilously close to losing its full navigation service capability, with just one more satellite failure potentially tipping the balance.
Perhaps even more concerning is the digital threat, as the most vulnerable points in satellite networks frequently lie within the ground stations, gateways, and user terminals. A stark example occurred in 2022 when a cyberattack on the Viasat network severely disrupted internet services across Europe, coinciding with the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. In response, global agencies have issued advisories and forged partnerships. The U.S., for instance, has established the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) to facilitate the coordination of cyber threat intelligence.
India’s proactive response comes through CERT-In, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. In 2025, CERT-In released comprehensive guidelines for satellite operators, stressing the importance of robust encryption, network segmentation, secure credentials, consistent system patching, and diligent incident reporting. Furthermore, India’s new licensing framework, managed by IN-SPACe, mandates that private operators adhere to strict safety and security standards. This strategic focus aims to ensure that as India’s burgeoning space economy attracts more private players, a strong foundation of cyber hygiene is adopted from the very beginning.
The Role of ‘Bodyguard Satellites’ in Orbital Defense
Beyond human-made challenges, satellites also face threats from natural phenomena. Powerful solar storms can inflict significant damage on sensitive electronics, induce harmful currents in power systems, and increase atmospheric drag, causing spacecraft to deorbit prematurely. To prepare for such events, operators rely on forecasts from agencies like the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the European Space Agency, and India’s own Centre of Excellence in Space Sciences India at IISER Kolkata. India made a significant leap forward with the Aditya-L1 mission, launched to observe the sun from the L1 Lagrange point. Data gathered from this mission will provide crucial early warnings of coronal mass ejections and other solar activity, enabling satellite controllers to activate safe modes and plan orbital maneuvers to minimize exposure.
Beyond the immediate dangers of debris and natural forces, the geopolitical landscape casts a long shadow over space operations. Satellites can be subjected to inspection, shadowing, or even direct targeting by hostile entities. What was once a niche technology, rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) — where one satellite approaches another — has now become a common capability among spacefaring nations.
While the foreign satellite’s alleged approach to an Indian satellite in 2024 did not lead to a collision, officials reportedly interpreted it as both a capability test and a clear warning. Such sophisticated maneuvers are exceedingly difficult to detect without uninterrupted tracking. Former ISRO officials have proposed that dedicated LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) satellites could significantly enhance India’s ability to detect these threats earlier, providing more precious time for a response.
The concept of “bodyguard satellites” fits squarely into this defensive framework. These specialized spacecraft could be strategically positioned to accompany critical satellites, constantly monitoring their immediate environment. Their functions would include detecting any suspicious maneuvers by other satellites, issuing timely threat warnings, and potentially even intervening physically if necessary. This approach aligns with broader global trends, where major space powers are discreetly developing both defensive and offensive satellite technologies, with many details remaining undisclosed.
Moreover, technology is not the sole line of defense; international agreements play a crucial role in establishing clear “rules of the road” in space. In 2019, the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) adopted voluntary guidelines aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of space activities. While NATO has officially recognized space as an operational domain, ten nations have united under the Combined Space Operations Initiative to advocate for responsible conduct in orbit. India has actively engaged with these crucial forums. Notably, in 2024, India hosted the Inter-Agency Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), where ISRO publicly announced its ambitious goal to achieve ‘Debris-Free Space Missions by 2030’.
This declaration marks a significant departure from 2019, when ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted an anti-satellite missile test in low-Earth orbit. That event generated substantial debris and attracted widespread international criticism, particularly for posing a risk to the International Space Station.
A Multi-Layered Approach for Space Resilience
The Indian government has also greenlit an ambitious ₹27,000-crore program to deploy 52 new surveillance satellites, with the first scheduled for launch in 2026. These satellites are designed to enhance Earth observation and security capabilities, significantly expanding India’s independent coverage of the orbital domain. Furthermore, various startups are actively contributing to this effort by developing space-based space situational awareness satellites dedicated to tracking debris and other objects in orbit.
Ultimately, the future of satellite protection in space will rely on a robust, multi-layered defense strategy. The foundational element is comprehensive observation, leveraging systems like IS4OM, Project NETRA, and advanced LiDAR satellites. Once a potential threat is identified, ISRO or the relevant operator can initiate collision-avoidance maneuvers, possibly using pre-programmed protocols. Beyond physical avoidance, communications must be made more resilient, with signals encrypted, networks segmented, and continuously monitored. Equally important is the establishment of clear protocols for reporting any incidents.
Regarding natural threats, satellite operators are already making plans for solar storms, utilizing sophisticated forecasting services. The Aditya-L1 mission is set to provide even more timely and accurate space weather intelligence. Finally, as a satellite approaches the end of its operational lifespan, operators must ensure either a controlled re-entry or passivation, strictly adhering to regulations concerning how long defunct spacecraft can remain in orbit.
These protective measures can be further enhanced by innovative concepts such as “bodyguard satellites,” autonomous collision avoidance systems, and communication links engineered to resist interference. All these efforts are reinforced by international guidelines established under the UN, coordinated through the IADC, and implemented via multilateral initiatives. In conclusion, while safeguarding satellites in the vast expanse of space is undeniably a monumental task, the growing array of benefits derived from these orbital assets increasingly justifies the significant investment and complex challenges involved.