Published: 6 March 2026Business Standard / ISRO / MoDScience & Technology
India Developing 'Bodyguard Satellites' to Protect Space Assets; MoD and ISRO Supervise Private Startups
India is developing a programme of 'bodyguard satellites' — protective spacecraft designed to shield high-value satellite assets from hostile threats in orbit. The government has tapped private space startups, including Bengaluru-based Digantara, for the Satellite Protection Project (SPP). Two variants of the protective system are under development: a robotic arm mechanism (to intercept or deflect threatening objects) and an enclosure mechanism (to physically shield satellites from debris or directed-energy attacks). The programme is supervised jointly by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and ISRO.
This initiative is part of a broader ₹27,000 crore investment India is making in 52 surveillance satellites under the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) Phase-III programme. These satellites provide persistent ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) coverage critical for national security, border monitoring, and maritime domain awareness.
The concept of bodyguard satellites emerges from the growing threat landscape in outer space: anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons (India demonstrated its ASAT capability in Mission Shakti, March 2019), co-orbital attack capabilities, directed-energy weapons, and jamming/spoofing of satellite signals. China and Russia have developed co-orbital attack satellites that can manoeuvre close to adversary satellites.
India's dual-use space architecture is evolving: IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) facilitates private sector participation; ISRO and MoD provide oversight; and the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) programme tracks objects in Earth orbit. Digantara has emerged as a leading Indian space-tech startup with expertise in space situational awareness and orbital data services.
This is directly relevant to RPSC topics: science-technology, national security, space policy, India's space programme milestones (PSLV, GSLV, SBS, Mission Shakti), and the role of IN-SPACe in privatising India's space sector.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the concept of 'bodyguard satellites' India is developing?
Bodyguard satellites are protective spacecraft designed to shield India's high-value satellite assets in orbit. Two variants: (1) robotic arm mechanism — to intercept or deflect threatening co-orbital objects; (2) enclosure mechanism — to physically shield satellites from debris, kinetic impactors, or directed-energy attacks. Supervised by MoD and ISRO, with private startup Digantara as a key contractor.
What is the SBS Phase-III programme and its scale?
Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) Phase-III is a ₹27,000 crore programme to deploy 52 surveillance satellites for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) — providing persistent coverage for national security, border monitoring, and maritime domain awareness. Bodyguard satellites are being developed to protect these assets.
What was Mission Shakti and why is it relevant here?
Mission Shakti (March 27, 2019) was India's first anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon test — a DRDO-developed missile successfully destroyed the Microsat-R satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO). It demonstrated India's 'kill chain' capability and marked India as the fourth country (after US, Russia, China) with ASAT capability. The same threat environment drives the bodyguard satellite initiative.
What is IN-SPACe and its role in India's space sector?
IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) was established in 2020 to facilitate, promote, and authorise private sector space activities in India. It acts as an interface between ISRO (which shares facilities) and private players like Digantara, enabling India's space privatisation roadmap.
What is Digantara and why is it significant?
Digantara is a Bengaluru-based space-tech startup specialising in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) — tracking orbital objects, debris, and providing commercial orbital data services. Its selection for the government's Satellite Protection Project marks India's growing reliance on private sector expertise for defence-space convergence.
