Beyond Peaceful Purposes: How Indonesia and India Drive Toward Space Security Architecture

Putro, Yaries Mahardika and Elyo, Bertrand and Paul, Shreyasree (2025) Beyond Peaceful Purposes: How Indonesia and India Drive Toward Space Security Architecture. In: The 2nd Postgraduate International Conference on Law, Technology & Society Law, Globalization, and Human Rights, 24 November 2025, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

The accelerating militarization of outer space has transformed the Indo-Pacific into a strategic frontier where technological advancement and security imperatives converge. As regional powers recalibrate their defense postures, space is no longer viewed solely as a domain for scientific progress but as a crucial element of national security strategy. This article explores how Indonesia and India, two emerging spacefaring nations in the Indo-Pacific, interpret and operationalize the principle of “peaceful purposes” under international space law amid growing regional security competition. Framed within the context of the Indo-Pacific as a new theatre of space and defense politics, the study investigates why both countries perceive the need for military space capabilities, how they legally justify such measures under the Outer Space Treaty (OST) 1967, and what implications these developments hold for regional security architecture. Using a normative juridical method with statutory, historical, and comparative approaches, the article examines the evolving legal and institutional frameworks that underpin Indonesia’s and India’s approaches to space security. Indonesia’s space governance remains primarily civilian under BRIN and the Ministry of Defense, yet recent regulations such as Government Regulation No. 7/2023 and Defense Ministry Regulation No. 1/2024 indicate a shift toward dual-use and defense-oriented applications. India, conversely, has institutionalized its military space capability through the Defence Space Agency and the development of anti-satellite (ASAT) systems while maintaining a legal interpretation of “peaceful use” as “non-hostile use.” Comparative analysis reveals that both states rely on “defensive justification” to reconcile space militarization with their treaty obligations. While India exhibits strategic maturity and technological readiness, Indonesia’s evolving policy framework reflects a cautious but emerging awareness of space as a defense domain. The paper concludes that both countries’ trajectories signify a gradual move toward a regional space security architecture, potentially bridging ASEAN and QUAD perspectives in shaping Indo-Pacific space norms.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Peaceful purposes; militarization; weaponization; space force; space security
Subjects:	K Law > K Law (General)
Divisions:	Faculty of Law > Department of Law
Depositing User:	YARIES MAHARDIKA PUTRO
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2025 02:06
Last Modified:	17 Nov 2025 02:06
URI:	http://repository.ubaya.ac.id/id/eprint/49788

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