2 min readBengaluruApr 20, 2026 01:18 PM IST
For any space mission, a successful launch is only the beginning. Much like navigating ground traffic with GPS, space assets require constant guidance to survive an increasingly crowded orbital environment. In a stark reminder of this growing “space traffic,” the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed last week that it performed a record 140 collision-avoidance manoeuvres (CAMs) in 2025 to protect Indian space assets, the highest number for a year in the 2010-2025 period.
Isro regularly conducts close-approach monitoring of all space objects using Indian space assets. CAM is needed to avoid a critical close approach that could lead to a collision with important space assets, such as satellites or spacecraft. CAM is performed by thrusting the satellite using the fuel stored on board.
The Indian Space Situational Awareness Report for 2025 states that one CAM was specifically conducted for the Isro-NASA joint mission, NISAR, which was launched in July of last year.
In total, there were four CAMs performed for geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) missions and 14 for low earth orbit (LEO) missions. Additionally, two CAMs were conducted for Chandrayaan-2 during its orbital manoeuvres scheduled for January and July of last year.
The number of CAMs (2010 – 2025)
The report stated that the Combined Space Operations Centre, a US-based hub for tracking space activities, issued over 1.50 lakh alerts for India’s earth-orbiting satellites during 2025.
“All manoeuvre plans, including those of the CAMs, were subjected to close approach risk analysis to rule out any potential close approach with other neighbouring space objects within a few days of the manoeuvres. 82 manoeuvre plans were revised to avoid post-manoeuvre close approaches with other space objects for LEO satellites. Similarly, manoeuvre plans had to be revised on two occasions to avoid post-manoeuvre conjunctions for GEO satellites,” it said.
Based on the CAMs and alerts, scientists performed 563 LEO manoeuvres, including 14 specific CAMs; 519 GEO manoeuvres, including 4 specific CAMs; and 16 for the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, including 2 specific CAMs.
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Further, Isro said that 82 manoeuvre plans were revised to avoid post-manoeuvre close approaches with other space objects for LEO satellites. Likewise, manoeuvre plans had to be revised to avoid post-manoeuvre conjunctions for GEO satellites.
