ISRO Achieves SpaDEX Mission Launch, Becomes Fourth Nation to Master Docking Technology

New Delhi, Dec 30 (NationPress) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully initiated the SpaDeX mission, realizing a groundbreaking achievement in space docking technology.

The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission took flight aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket from Sriharikota on December 30.

This mission aims to successfully dock two satellites in orbit.

"LIFTOFF! PSLV-C60 has successfully launched SpaDeX along with 24 additional payloads," ISRO announced through a post on social media platform X.

"SpaDeX Deployed! The successful separation of SpaDeX satellites signifies another milestone in India's space exploration journey," the agency added.

With this achievement, India has become the fourth nation, following the United States, Russia, and China, to excel in docking technology.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated on X, "India joins the elite group of countries mastering space docking through its own indigenously developed ‘Bharatiya Docking System.'"

This technology will facilitate future endeavors such as the Gaganyaan mission and the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Singh noted.

The SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) mission represents a pioneering step in establishing India's competence in orbital docking, a crucial technology for upcoming human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions, according to ISRO.

The PSLV successfully lifted off with two small spacecraft—SDX01, the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target—each weighing approximately 220 kg. The satellites will merge for docking in a low-Earth circular orbit.

ISRO plans to monitor the docking orientation over the next four days to assess the software processes.

The Bharatiya Docking System features a docking mechanism, a set of four rendezvous and docking sensors, power transfer technology, an advanced autonomous rendezvous and docking strategy, and an inter-satellite communication link (ISL) to enable autonomous communication between the spacecraft, equipped with inbuilt intelligence to monitor the states of the other spacecraft.

Mastering this space docking technology not only positions India within the elite circle of spacefaring nations but is also vital for the country's upcoming missions, including lunar explorations, the establishment of an Indian space station, and missions such as Chandrayaan-4 without relying on Earth’s GNSS.

ISRO also indicated that the mission will showcase the transfer of electrical power between the docked spacecraft, a feature essential for future applications like in-space robotics, composite spacecraft control, and payload operations post-undocking.

Additionally, SpaDEX will utilize the PSLV's fourth stage, POEM-4, for conducting experiments. This stage will also carry 24 payloads from academic institutions and startups.