Why outer space has become a new frontier of national security — and India's place in it.
In March 2019, India successfully tested an Anti-Satellite (ASAT) weapon under "Mission Shakti," destroying one of its own live satellites in low Earth orbit. This made India the fourth country (after the US, Russia, and China) to demonstrate ASAT capability — seen as both a deterrent signal and a hedge against emerging threats to India's growing dependence on satellites for communication, navigation and surveillance.
India created the Defence Space Agency (DSA) to integrate space-based military capabilities across the armed forces, alongside the Defence Space Research Agency (DSRA) for developing space warfare technology. These sit alongside ISRO's civilian space programme, reflecting a growing — though still limited — militarisation of India's space assets.
ASAT tests generate space debris that can endanger other satellites and the International Space Station for years — drawing international criticism of India's 2019 test on environmental grounds, even though it followed established precedent set by other major powers. There is no comprehensive international treaty specifically banning ASAT weapons, though the Outer Space Treaty, 1967 bans placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit.
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