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Live count

How many satellites and how much debris does India have in orbit?

Numbers last changed 7 October 2026, 08:20 UTC (orbit data of 7 Oct, 08:20 UTC, catalogue of 7 Oct, 04:04 UTC). CelesTrak's catalogue records 196 objects in Earth orbit for India: 78 active satellites, 40 inactive satellites, 42 rocket bodies and 36 pieces of debris.

CelesTrak updates the catalogue about once a day and the orbit data about every 2 hours; the times are in the line above.

What this means

The catalogue records these objects under the owner "India" (code IND). That ranks 8th of 106 owners, after To Be Determined (214) and ahead of INTELSAT (149). Its 36 pieces of debris are 0.3 percent of all catalogued debris in Earth orbit; 32 of them are catalogued under one launch, 2001-049. 4 more objects that have not re-entered are recorded around other bodies (orbit centre EL1 1, MA 1, MO 2) and are not counted here.

The 2-hourly orbit data of 7 October 2026, 08:20 UTC has 77 active (1 fewer; why they differ). Across the catalogue, 93.4 percent of the 12,527 pieces of debris in Earth orbit carry the owner of a satellite from the same launch; 826 do not; the owner does not say who or what broke a piece off (what the owner of debris means).

By kind

Orbits

The largest group of these objects is in low Earth orbit (118). (groups from perigee and apogee.)

When they were launched

More of these objects were launched in the 2010s than in any other decade (74, 49 of them satellites). 6 were launched in 2026. The oldest dates from 1981.

Largest debris groups

The largest group, from launch 2001-049, has 32 pieces in orbit, 88.9 percent of this owner's debris.

Notable objects

• Oldest still in orbit: APPLE (catalogue number 12545, 1981-057B, satellite), launched 19 June 1981.
• Most recent launch: GSLV R/B (catalogue number 100608, 2026-202B, rocket body), launched 3 September 2026.
• Largest radar cross-section: GSAT-16 (catalogue number 40332, 2014-078A, satellite), 63.2 square metres.
• Highest apogee: CHANDRAYAAN-3 PROPULSION MODULE (catalogue number 57770, 2023-098C, satellite), 308,388 km at its highest point.

Object details

These tables show 50 of the 196 objects; 66 have no radar cross-section and come last in the size order. A dash: no value in the catalogue. The button below (it needs JavaScript) loads the full list of this data version as a table to filter and page through.

Questions

How many satellites does India have in orbit?

118 satellites in Earth orbit as of 7 October 2026, 04:04 UTC: 78 active and 40 inactive, as the catalogue records the owner "India".

How much space debris does India have?

36 catalogued pieces of debris in Earth orbit, 0.3 percent of all 12,527, the 6th most of any owner, plus 42 rocket bodies. Pieces too small to track are not counted.

How many objects of India re-entered in the last year?

9 in the 365 days to 7 October 2026, of 573 that have re-entered since the first launch. 8 launched in those 365 days are still in orbit.

More owners

Nearest in the ranking: France (640), Japan (318), INTELSAT (149), ESA (118). Every owner, searchable; active satellites only: satellites by country and the satellite count.

Sources

CelesTrak SATCAT, CelesTrak SATCAT format, CelesTrak SATCAT source codes, CelesTrak SATCAT status codes, CelesTrak current GP data (the active list), NASA Orbital Debris Program Office, frequently asked questions.