At the National Space Technology Conclave 2026 hosted by Chandigarh University, ISRO experts outlined three transformative technologies for India's future satellites: AI/ML for on-board processing and edge computing, quantum technology for securing financial and military communications, and inter-satellite links. Experts also flagged space debris and spoofing of navigation signals as critical threats. PSLV has now launched 399 foreign satellites by 2026, up from just 35 before 2014, signalling India's growing commercial launch appeal.

This conclave surfaces several layers of static knowledge the UPSC examiner regularly tests under science and technology.

**On-board processing vs ground processing:** Traditional satellites downlink raw data to ground stations for processing. AI/ML-enabled edge computing moves this processing onto the satellite itself, enabling real-time decision-making — critical for disaster management, surveillance, and precision agriculture without communication latency.

**Quantum technology in space:** Quantum key distribution (QKD) uses quantum mechanical principles to create theoretically unbreakable encryption. Applied to satellites, it secures financial transactions, military communications, and banking networks against interception. India's push here connects to the National Quantum Mission launched in 2023 with a ₹6,003 crore outlay.

**Inter-Satellite Links (ISLs):** These allow satellites to communicate directly with each other without routing through ground stations, enabling seamless global coverage — crucial for constellations like NavIC's planned expansion.

**Space-Based Surveillance (SBS):** India's SBS programme strengthens national security by providing persistent overhead monitoring capability — an area where ISRO intersects with defence.

**Spoofing threat to navigation:** False GPS/NavIC signals can mislead precision-guided munitions or civilian receivers. India is building a multi-layer security architecture to counter this — a dual-use concern spanning both civilian and defence domains.

**Space sustainability:** The Kessler Syndrome — a chain-reaction of collisions generating ever-more debris — is the theoretical worst case. ISRO's participation in international guidelines (UN COPUOS frameworks) and active debris monitoring are the policy responses the examiner has tested before.