India has unveiled an ambitious ‘Swachh Space’ vision aimed at making the country's space activities debris-free by 2030, positioning itself among a small group of nations seeking practical solutions to one of the fastest-growing challenges in space operations, NDTV reported.

The initiative forms part of India's broader Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM), under which both government agencies and private sector participants are expected to eliminate the creation of new orbital debris by the end of the decade.

The objective aligns with ISRO's previously announced commitment to achieve zero-debris space missions through stricter mission planning, post-mission disposal measures and enhanced orbital safety practices.

Announcing the initiative on 5 November, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said India was emerging as an early pioneer in active space debris removal and was developing capabilities that would help make outer space safer and more sustainable.

“India's emerging capabilities in active space debris removal reflect the country's growing global leadership in space technology and its commitment to ensuring a safe space environment for the entire humanity,” said Jitendra Singh.

The announcement comes as Earth's orbital environment becomes increasingly congested. According to NASA estimates, around 50,000 large, trackable objects orbit the planet, while more than 100 million smaller fragments remain in space.

As of August 2026, the US Space Surveillance Network had catalogued more than 34,000 objects, including operational and defunct satellites, spent rocket stages and debris generated by fragmentation events.

The rapid expansion of mega-constellations, including Starlink, OneWeb and other large satellite networks, has intensified concerns over orbital congestion. While these systems provide critical communications services, they also increase the complexity of space traffic management and the risk of future debris generation.

Many debris fragments travel at speeds exceeding 25,000 kilometres per hour. Even tiny particles can damage or disable spacecraft, making debris mitigation an increasingly important part of satellite operations worldwide.

Government figures show that India currently has 129 trackable debris objects in orbit linked to its space activities. These consist of 23 defunct satellites in Low Earth Orbit, 26 inactive satellites in Geostationary Orbit, 47 spent rocket stages from PSLV, GSLV and LVM-3 missions, and 33 debris fragments resulting from the earlier break-up of a PSLV rocket body.

Although these numbers are significant, India's contribution remains a very small portion of the global debris inventory. International tracking databases indicate that the United States and Russia account for roughly 70 to 80 per cent of all tracked debris, while Europe contributes around 10 per cent and China approximately 10 to 15 per cent. India's share remains well below 1 per cent.

Despite this comparatively small footprint, India acknowledges that even a single debris fragment can threaten operational spacecraft. A fragment no larger than a bolt can cripple a satellite, while even paint flecks can cause serious damage because of their extreme velocity.

ISRO has already incorporated debris mitigation measures into mission planning. Satellites and launch vehicles are designed with fuel reserves for post-mission disposal, while Low Earth Orbit spacecraft are increasingly manoeuvred into lower orbits at the end of their missions to accelerate atmospheric re-entry. Additional fuel margins are also being included during the earliest design phases of missions.

India's twin SPaDeX satellites also recently re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burnt up, demonstrating growing attention to responsible end-of-life disposal practices.

The country is strengthening international cooperation on debris mitigation through collaboration with NASA, the European Space Agency and JAXA, recognising that orbital debris is a global challenge requiring coordinated solutions.

A major role in the effort is now being played by the private sector. Hyderabad-based Start-Up Cosmoserve Space has established a dedicated facility focused on satellite servicing, debris removal and in-orbit logistics technologies.

The company believes future space operations will increasingly depend on servicing, repairing, refuelling and repositioning satellites rather than replacing them through costly new launches.

Industry estimates suggest that nearly 10,000 of the approximately 28,000 satellites currently in orbit are dead or non-operational. Beyond these are around 68,000 debris objects smaller than 10 centimetres, approximately 1.5 million fragments measuring between one and two centimetres, and nearly 230 million particles ranging from one millimetre to one centimetre.

Around 660 collisions and explosions have already taken place in orbit, generating close to 58,000 tracked debris fragments.

To address the problem, Cosmoserve Space is developing what it describes as a Dual Spacecraft Architecture. Under the concept, a larger Orbital Service Station would function as a logistics hub carrying fuel, spare components and equipment, while a smaller Autonomous Service Vehicle would travel between satellites conducting inspections, repairs, docking operations and potentially debris-removal missions.

The company estimates that the approach could reduce servicing costs from roughly $10 million per satellite to below $1 million.

“In our first year, we have flown our first payload on an Indian rocket, Vikram-1, flown by Skyroot Aerospace, raised our seed round, and today we open a facility where we can design, build, test and fly our missions under one roof,” said Chiranjeevi Phanindra, Founder and CEO of Cosmoserve Space.

“Debris is becoming the limiting factor for every nation's space ambitions, including India's. Base 1, the new facility by Cosmoserve at Hyderabad inaugurated today, is where we build the capability to keep orbits usable, for Gaganyaan, the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and every satellite that follows,” he added.

The Start-Up recently secured $6 million in seed funding, taking total funding to more than $9 million. Investors increasingly view satellite servicing and debris removal as a major commercial opportunity, with the global market projected to reach approximately $14.5 billion by 2030.

Much of the technological foundation for future debris-removal missions has already been established by ISRO. In 2025, the SpaDeX mission successfully demonstrated autonomous rendezvous, docking and undocking capabilities, which are essential for satellite servicing and debris-capture operations.

ISRO has also demonstrated relocatable robotic arm technologies and robotic manipulators aboard orbital platforms, providing further building blocks for future active debris-removal missions.

Supporting these efforts is NETRA, India's dedicated Space Situational Awareness program, approved with funding of ₹509.01 crore. By February 2026, expenditure under the initiative had reached ₹67.77 crore.

The NETRA Space Situational Awareness Control Centre is already operational and continuously monitors orbital conditions, predicts atmospheric re-entry events, assesses collision risks and recommends avoidance manoeuvres for Indian satellites. Indigenous phased-array radar development is also progressing to improve the detection and tracking of multiple space objects simultaneously.

Another key contributor is IS4OM, the ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management, established in 2022. The organisation coordinates long-term sustainability initiatives and works with IN-SPACe to help emerging private space companies adopt debris-mitigation measures.

Against the backdrop of expanding satellite fleets and increasingly crowded orbital corridors, India's Swachh Space vision represents more than a domestic policy objective.

By combining ISRO's surveillance, tracking and mitigation capabilities with innovative technologies being developed by Start-Ups such as Cosmoserve Space, India is seeking to establish itself not only as a major spacefaring nation but also as a responsible custodian of the orbital environment upon which future space exploration, communications and commerce will depend.

Agencies