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Topic: Space Blog Brand: The Buzz Region: Asia Tags: China, India, On-Orbit Refueling, Satellites, and South Asia Why India’s On-Orbit Refueling Test Should Terrify China January 13, 2026 By: Brandon J. Weichert
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On-orbit refueling is inherently a dual-use activity; any satellite that can approach a friendly satellite to refuel it can also approach an enemy one to destroy it.
India continues proving that it is a real leader in the development of innovative space technologies that can—and will—be used to ensure it has a large say in how the geopolitics of space plays out. A small Indian satellite named AayulSAT has been developed by OrbitAID Aerospace, a small space-tech startup, and it will launch this week (January 12) on the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) PSLV-C62 mission.
India’s Quiet Space Breakthrough
The main point of the AayuISAT is to demonstrate that India possesses the technical means to refuel satellites while in orbit. This is roughly akin to when airplanes receive fueling mid-air from airborne tankers. It is a capability that drastically expands the life cycles of India’s precious satellites—and, moreover, reduces space debris, a growing threat to all spacefaring nations.
AayuISAT, once successfully launched, will remain in orbit for a year testing its various capabilities. It will conduct, for example, propellant transfer methods, using propane in microgravity. The satellite will trial power and data transfer via a custom docking interface.
With these on-orbit refueling capabilities, India’s vital satellite constellations will remain in peak operating form longer. After all, as a nuclear weapons state, India requires a robust and reliable satellite capability.
Should the AayuISAT demonstrate proficiency in these key operational domains, the Indian government will move forward with scaling up the project with OrbitAID Aerospace, thereby ensuring that India’s satellites will remain functional and viable for much longer than they otherwise would have been.
How Orbital Refueling Actually Works
OrbitAID Aerospace plans on eventually launching what’s known as a “chaser” satellite into orbit that will rendezvous and dock with the AayuISAT to validate actual docking and servicing, turning the AayuISAT into a space target for those operations.
If the demonstration succeeds, India will become only the fourth country—behind the United States, Russia, and China—to demonstrate proficiency with in-orbit refueling capabilities. OrbitAID Aerospace has framed these capabilities as being foundational to building the infrastructure necessary for India supporting an “on-orbit economy,” where satellites are routinely serviced, refueled, and maintained in space. There’s no doubt that this mission, if successful, will catapult India’s space capabilities—which are already impressive—to the next geopolitical level.
India’s Program Will Have Military Uses, Too
There’s more behind this, though. And it is something that no Indian leader would dare voice publicly. All technologies and capabilities in space are dual-use in nature. What can be employed for effective refueling of satellites in orbit during peacetime could easily be fashioned into a weapon if India ever found itself in a space war.
In fact, it is very likely that, on some level, the AayuISAT in-orbit refueling experiments are merely cover for the development of a serious co-orbital satellite attack capability that could ensure India has real leverage over its foes in orbit, if a space war ever erupted. The same methods used to track, make contact with, and refuel satellites in orbit can also be used to attack rival satellites. These are tactics that both the Russians and Chinese (and, one presumes, the Americans) have perfected.
Co-orbital satellites, otherwise known as “Space Stalkers,” according to military space analyst, Brian G. Chow, are a devastating weapon-in-waiting.
India has already demonstrated a remarkable capacity for space warfare. During Trump’s first term in office, New Delhi surprised the world when it successfully launched an anti-satellite (ASAT) test that destroyed a derelict satellite. This was a demonstration of India’s counterspace capabilities—and it was a clear signal to countries like China that India would not allow for its space assets to be threatened in any way by Chinese space weapons.
So, the Indian AayuISAT test is important for many more reasons than just keeping Indian satellites fueled. It’s likely a backdoor test for co-orbital attack capabilities—which means India is about to become a seriously dangerous player in the strategic high ground.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. Weichert hosts a companion book talk series on Rumble entitled “National Security Talk.” He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, and the Asia Times. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Alones.
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Источник: nationalinterest.org