Consider the following: 1. The SBS program

Solution

• SBS 1 was initiated by the Vajpayee government in 2001, and involved the launch of four satellites for surveillance, Cartosat 2A, Cartosat 2B, Eros B and Risat 2. SBS 2 came in 2013 with the launch of six satellites, Cartosat 2C, Cartosat 2D, Cartosat 3A, Cartosat 3B, Microsat 1 and Risat 2A. The newly cleared SBS 3 shows that India will be launching 52 satellites within the next decade.
• Phase 3 of the Space-Based Surveillance (SBS) programme, approved in October 2023 by the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security, is set to cost ₹26,968 crore. It involves the construction and launch of 21 satellites by India’s space agency Isro and 31 by three private companies. The first satellite is expected to be launched by April 2026, with the full constellation targeted for completion by the end of 2029. The Defence Space Agency (DSA), under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS)