Expanded space systems to secure the high ground

India is expanding its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability, with space-based systems forming a central pillar — an imperative that has become even more urgent in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, which culminated in intense hostilities with Pakistan between May 7 and 10.  According to Lt Gen A K Bhatt (Retd), director general of the Indian Space Association (Ispa), indigenous space assets such as the Cartosat-2C satellite, which provides high-resolution imagery, and Risat satellites, equipped with synthetic aperture radar (Sar) for all-weather, day-and-night surveillance, proved critical during the