From Chandrayaan-3 to ASAT, National Space Day 2024 Spotlights India’s Space Triumphs

New Delhi, India: National Space Day 2024 stands as a testament to critical role that space exploration has played in India's scientific and technical progress. This date was carefully chosen to coincide with anniversary of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which, on August 23, 2023, me India fourth nation in history to reach moon. This monumental achievement not only highlighted growing capabilities of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) but also inspired national pride and garnered international recognition for country’s space program. 

India’s space program has been instrumental in providing a range of satellite-based services, from telemedicine and banking to resource mapping and marine fishing. With largest fleet of civilian communication satellites in Asia-Pacific region and an extensive array of civilian remote-sensing satellites, India’s satellite infrastructure plays a vital role in nation's strategic and economic framework. se satellites, particularly those deployed in Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and along Indo-Pakistan and Indo-China borders, offer crucial strategic vantages by facilitating satellite communication and imagery for decision-makers and security forces. However, this extensive satellite fleet, a key component of India’s national infrastructure, was rendered vulnerable almost overnight following China's Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test in 2007. 

Evolution of Indian ASAT Deterrence 

India’s response to growing threat posed by China's counterspace capabilities culminated in successful execution of Mission Shakti, an ASAT test that signaled India’s intent and capability to protect its space assets. test was widely seen as a significant achievement, fulfilling its political and strategic objectives by demonstrating India’s capacity for space defense. Yet, as India celebrates this success, questions linger about wher Mission Shakti’s intercept will suffice to counter expanding Chinese threat to India’s space program. Despite deterrent effect communicated by this success, it is evident that India has considerable ground to cover in creating a robust and comprehensive deterrence framework.

To effectively counter China’s growing counterspace capabilities, India must integrate its Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) program with its ASAT capabilities, while also vancing in cyber warfare and hypersonic weapon technologies. A detailed analysis of each Indian space platform against actual Chinese counterspace systems is crucial. This analysis must account for systems' locations, operational capabilities, orbital paths, technical characteristics, and ir resilience to potential attacks, along with ir connections to ground control nodes and broer national security infrastructure. 

As India charts its future course in space security, policymakers face three unavoidable realities. First is extensive and diverse array of Chinese counterspace capabilities, which span entire spectrum of lethality and reversibility. se capabilities include sophisticated cyberattacks on ground stations, aimed at manipulating or seizing control of telemetry, tracking, and command systems used to operate spacecraft in orbit. Furrmore, China’s investment in rio frequency jammers—operating from ground, air, and space-based platforms—poses a direct threat to uplinks, downlinks, and crosslinks essential for space system communications.

Challenges Ahe for India 

Anor emerging threat is development of Co-orbital “service” satellites by China, designed to physically harm or alter trajectory of target satellites using mechanical interference, such as robotic arms. most vulnerable to se threats are India’s earth observation, electronic intelligence garing, and scientific research satellites.

Secondly, while se Chinese counterspace threats are at varying stages of development, y are not distant or hypotical challenges. Some of se threats alrey present a clear and immediate danger to India. Although China’s primary versary remains United States, India cannot afford to ignore evolving Chinese counterspace threat, especially given its limited resources and technological capabilities. relentless vancement of se capabilities by Beijing, despite being primarily directed at U.S., still poses a significant threat to India, demanding attention and strategic countermeasures. 

Lastly, significant asymmetry between Chinese and Indian counterspace capabilities presents a formidable challenge. China’s broer array of both lethal and nonlethal counterspace weapons creates a strategic imbalance that complicates India’s efforts to effectively deter Chinese space denial activities. This reality, often overlooked in enthusiastic Indian narrative surrounding its successful ASAT test, underscores limitations of India’s kinetic ASAT system. While it can prevent kinetic attacks on India’s space systems, more likely threat lies in Beijing’s investment in alternative, less destructive but equally effective instruments designed to stifle India’s space capabilities.

As National Space Day 2024 commemorates India’s strides in space exploration, it also highlights growing challenges country faces in safeguarding its space assets. success of Chandrayaan-3 and development of India’s ASAT capabilities are significant milestones, yet journey toward achieving a robust space deterrence framework is far from complete. India must continue to innovate and strengn its space security measures to protect its strategic interests in an increasingly contested and congested space environment.