India’s top missile scientist and head of the Defence Research & Development Organisation believes there is a threat to India’s space systems which act as a major force multiplier in enhancing capabilities of security forces.
“Space systems today have no protection and are too remote to actively protect,” said VK Saraswat, who is also the chief scientific adviser to the defence minister, while speaking at the inauguration of the 26th national convention of aerospace engineers and national seminar here on Saturday.
Speaking on Expanding Frontiers in Aerospace Technologies- Challenges and Opportunities, he stressed the need to address space security along with the cyber warfare as two emerging threats.
“Today, India has nine active communication satellites (out of 24 launched) and 12 payloads in orbit. All it takes is about 50 to 60 antisatellite vehicles to neutralise them. We need a new paradigm, a comprehensive space security plan. We need to develop counter measures. It should be feasible within a decade.”
Talking to students, professors and scientists, Saraswat said: “We should think of small satellite clusters of multiple satellites with distributed resources instead of single large satellites. Future satellite systems should be lighter. Lower launch cost will enable distribution of resources on multiple satellites.”