Countries are focusing on developing Autonomous satellites. 

• In 2024, China has successfully launched the world’s first ‘self-driving’ satellites; they can autonomously maintain or change flight paths without ground intervention. 

About Autonomous Satellites

• These are satellites designed to perform their functions with minimal to no human intervention by utilizing a suite of advanced technologies and algorithms like Artificial Intelligence (AI). 
  • These technologies are transforming satellites from passive observers into active, thinking machines.
• The onboard intelligence is referred as satellite edge computing and allows satellites to analyse their environment and make decisions.

Key Applications 

• Automated space operations: Independent manoeuvring in space to perform tasks like docking, inspections, in-orbit refuelling, and debris removal.
• Self-diagnosis and repair: Monitoring their own health, identifying faults, and executing repairs without human intervention. 
• Route planning: Optimising orbital trajectories to avoid hazards and obstacles or to save fuel.
• Targeted geospatial intelligence: Detecting disasters and other events of interest in real-time from orbit and coordinating with other satellites intelligently to prioritise areas of interest.
• Combat support: Providing real-time threat identification and potentially enabling autonomous target tracking and engagement, directly from orbit.