Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the third phase of the Space-based Surveillance (SBS-3) project for better land and maritime domain awareness for civilian and military applications.
- SBS-3 includes 52 satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) for surveillance.
- The new fleet of satellites will be at different orbits based on artificial intelligence (AI) and will be able to “interact with each other in space to gather geo-intelligence” on the Earth.
- When a satellite in GEO (36,000 km) detects something, it can request a closer look from a satellite in LEO (400-600 km), providing more detailed information.
| India’s SBS Projects | ||
| SBS-1 (Approved in 2001) | SBS-2 (Approved in 2013) | SBS-3 |
| Focused on basic surveillance
capabilities. |
Focused on enhanced surveillance
capabilities, particularly for maritime domain awareness |
Proposes to utilize both LEO and GEO
Satellites for comprehensive coverage. |
| Involved launch of 4 surveillance
satellites – Cartosat-2A, Cartosat-2B, RISAT-2, and Eros-B |
Involved the launch of 6 additional
surveillance satellites – Cartosat-2C, Cartosat-2D, Microsat-l, RISAT-2A etc. |
Three services will have dedicated
satellites for their land, sea, and air based missions. |
Significance of Space-based Surveillance (SBS)
- National Security and Defence
- Space traffic management and collision avoidance
- Protection of Space assets
- Environmental monitoring and disaster response
- Scientific research and data collection
Existing Global Measures to regulate SBS
- Outer Space Treaty (1967): Foundational treaty establishes basic principles for the exploration and use of outer space.
- Registration Convention (1976): Requires countries to provide details of satellite launches to the I-IN, promoting transparency.
- UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines (2007): Encourages nations to limit space debris creation and manage space traffic, aiding space surveillance.
- International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities (ICOC): A non-binding code of conduct outlining principles for responsible space activities, including transparency and cooperation.
- UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS): Oversees international cooperation on space activities.
- International Astronautical Federation (IAF): An NGO promoting discussions on ethical and legal issues related to space activities.
- Artemis Accords (2020): U.S.-led framework for responsible space resource use, emphasizing transparency and interoperability.
