India to Launch 52 New Spy Satellites to Eliminate Night-Time Blind Spots

• India plans to launch 52 new spy satellites to address surveillance limitations exposed during recent conflicts, particularly a standoff with Pakistan.
• Existing Indian satellites struggled with night-time imaging and cloud cover, leading to reliance on US private companies for satellite imagery.
• The expansion involves shifting to synthetic aperture radar technology for clear night vision and all-weather capability, reducing surveillance blind spots.
• Improvements in satellite-to-satellite communication links are also planned to reduce reliance on ground stations and enable faster data transfer.
• The Space-Based Surveillance-3 programme aims for 100-150 satellites within three years, with the first batch potentially launching by April 2026.

Why It Matters: India is significantly boosting its military satellite network with 52 new spy satellites to overcome surveillance gaps.