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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the SpaDeX mission on Monday, making history by docking in space.
On December 30, the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission lifted out from Sriharikota atop the PSLV-C60 rocket.
The SpaDeX mission aims to dock two satellites in space.
“LIFTOFF! PSLV-C60 successfully launches SpaDeX and 24 payloads,” ISRO said in a post on social media platform X.
“SpaDeX Deployed! Successful separation of SpaDeX satellites marks another milestone in India’s space journey,” it added.
India is now the fourth country, after the US, Russia, and China, to master the docking technology.
“India becomes the fourth to join the select league of nations to seek Space docking, through its own indigenously developed ‘Bharatiya Docking System’,” said Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X.
The technology will “pave the way for journey beyond the skies for “Gaganyaan” and “Bharatiya Antriksha Station”, Singh said.
SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) is a pioneering mission that will establish India’s capacity in orbital docking, a critical technology for future human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions, according to ISRO.
The PSLV launched two small spacecraft, SDX01, the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target, weighing around 220 kg each. The satellites merged or combined to dock in a low-Earth circular orbit.
ISRO will wait four days for docking orientation to analyze the software process.
The Bharatiya Docking System includes a docking mechanism, a suite of four rendezvous and docking sensors, power transfer technology, indigenous novel autonomous rendezvous and docking strategy, and an inter-satellite communication link (ISL) for autonomous communication between spacecraft, incorporating inbuilt intelligence to know the states of the other spacecraft, among others.
Mastering space docking technology may not only put India into the elite group of spacefaring countries. It is also critical for India’s next space projects, including as the Moon mission, the establishment of the Indian space station, and lunar missions such as Chandrayaan-4, which will not have Earth-based GNSS support.
According to ISRO, it will also show the transfer of electric power between docked spacecraft, which is critical for future applications like as in-space robotics, composite spacecraft control, and payload activities following undocking.
SpaDEX will also conduct experiments aboard PSLV’s fourth stage, POEM-4. The stage also holds 24 payloads from academic institutions and startups.
Source: IANS
