In-Orbit Snooping

In 2026, Indian aerospace firm Azista Space demonstrated a new indigenous capability by imaging the International Space Station from another satellite using its Earth-observation satellite ABA First Runner (AFR), a first for a private Indian company.

• In-orbit snooping (or “space watch”) refers to the ability of one satellite to track, observe and capture images of other objects in orbit, including satellites, space stations or debris, to monitor their position and activity.
• AFR, launched aboard Falcon 9 in 2023, successfully tracked the ISS at distances of about 250-300 km, capturing multiple frames and validating its imaging precision and tracking algorithms.
• The ....