UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — How dual-use satellites are blurring the lines of modern space war

Q1. Under India's Space Based Surveillance (SBS) Phase-III programme cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2024, how many satellites are envisaged in the constellation?

  • A. 36
  • B. 42
  • C. 52
  • D. 72

Q2. In the context of contemporary space warfare, the term 'dual-use satellite' is best defined as:

  • A. A satellite that simultaneously operates in two distinct orbital regimes, typically LEO and GEO.
  • B. A satellite jointly owned and operated by two sovereign states under an inter-governmental agreement.
  • C. A satellite that performs both civilian and military functions concurrently, thereby complicating the law-of-armed-conflict distinction between civilian and military objects.
  • D. A commercial satellite designed to be repurposed in wartime as a kinetic anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon.