India to Launch Spy Satellites to Monitor Foreign Surveillance in Space » Capital News

New Delhi, India June 17 – India is set to deploy its own constellation of surveillance satellites aimed at tracking and monitoring foreign satellites that may be spying on the country.

The ambitious project, led by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), is nearing finalisation and will be entirely developed within India, senior officials from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have confirmed.

Designed to enhance India’s space domain awareness, the system will offer real-time monitoring of orbital threats and feature advanced ‘satellite mapping’ capabilities. “India will be focusing on improving its presence in space in the coming years. This initiative will be a part of that larger aim,” a senior ISRO official told ThePrint.

The satellite surveillance network will be rolled out under ISRO’s NETRA (Network for Tracking Space Objects and Analysis) programme, which already monitors space debris and other potentially hazardous objects. In addition to the MoD and ISRO, Bengaluru-based space tech startup Digantara has been contracted to deploy the satellites within the next year.

Monitoring the Monitors

Globally, major powers such as the US, Russia, and China have already developed or are testing similar capabilities. Spy satellites designed to monitor other satellites typically rely on sophisticated propulsion and guidance systems to adjust orbital inclinations and altitudes. This allows them to track, photograph, and in some cases, intercept data from foreign satellites.

Some are believed to be capable of eavesdropping on inter-satellite communications and links to ground stations. In a widely reported 2020 incident, the US Space Command flagged that a Russian satellite, Kosmos 2543, had released an unidentified object close to another Russian satellite—raising concerns over potential satellite destruction technologies being tested in orbit.

“Space is increasingly becoming a domain for strategic competition. Battles will no longer be limited to the ground; they will also be fought in orbit. Countries must prepare accordingly,” the ISRO official added.

India’s Expanding Space Defence Strategy

India is already advancing its space-based defence capabilities. A key component of this strategy is the Space-Based Surveillance-3 (SBS-3) programme, which aims to launch a constellation of 52 surveillance satellites over the next two years.

The ₹27,000 crore project is a joint effort between the government and private sector players, including Ananth Technologies, Centum Electronics, and Alpha Design Technologies. It is expected to significantly enhance India’s national security and intelligence-gathering capabilities.

As geopolitical competition extends beyond Earth’s atmosphere, India’s move marks a major step toward asserting its space sovereignty and safeguarding its strategic interests in orbit.