India is drafting a plan to protect its satellites from potential attacks, following a near miss in orbit that highlighted rising security risks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s government aims to develop &ldquo;bodyguard satellites&rdquo; capable of detecting and countering threats to critical space assets, people familiar with the matter said.
The move follows a mid-2024 incident when a satellite from a neighbouring country came within just 1 km of an Indian spacecraft orbiting 500&ndash;600 km above Earth. Officials believe the close approach, involving an ISRO satellite with possible military applications, may have been a show of strength.
<h3 dir="ltr">Expanding Space Security</h3>
The satellite-protection project forms part of India&rsquo;s larger ₹270 billion ($3 billion) initiative to deploy nearly 50 surveillance satellites, with the first expected to launch next year. India currently operates over 100 satellites, compared to Pakistan&rsquo;s eight and China&rsquo;s 930-plus, according to N2YO.com.
China&rsquo;s rapidly advancing satellite program has been flagged as a growing threat by Indian and US officials alike. Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit warned in June that Beijing&rsquo;s space capabilities are expanding in both scale and sophistication.
<h3 dir="ltr">Next-Gen Defences</h3>
India is exploring Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) satellites to quickly identify hostile manoeuvres, supported by ground-based radars and telescopes. &ldquo;We do not have 24x7 in-orbit tracking yet, but startups are working on it,&rdquo; said Sudheer Kumar N, former ISRO official.
ISRO already played a pivotal role in May, when more than 400 scientists supported India&rsquo;s defence operations during a conflict with Pakistan. Reports suggest China assisted Islamabad during the skirmish by adjusting its satellite coverage.
With space emerging as a new frontier of warfare, New Delhi&rsquo;s bodyguard satellite project marks a major step toward safeguarding India&rsquo;s orbital assets.

India to develop bodyguard satellites after near miss in orbit raises security concerns

India Plans ‘Bodyguard Satellites’ for Security

India to develop bodyguard satellites after near miss in orbit raises security concerns

September 22, 2025 | 15:39 IST