The SpaDex mission is an important project by ISRO which is designed to develop and demonstrate. The technology needed for spacecraft rendezvous, docking and undocking using two small satellites.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the early hours of Thursday (January 16, 2025) successfully executed the SpaDeX docking experiment. Making India the fourth country after the USA, Russia and China this historic feat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at the office in Bangalore as scientist carried out the test. Federal Science Minister Jitendra Singh mission in the years had “finally ” happened.
ISRO SpaDex: India successfully conducts historic space-docking test.
Indian space agency ISRO has for the first time successfully conducted space docking by joining together two small craft in space. The technology is essential for the country’s future ambition. To build an Indian space station and put a person on the Moon.
The mission called SpaDex blasted off from Sriharikota launch pad in southern India on 30 December. The two spacecraft, launched on a single rocket, separated in space. The docking process, initially scheduled for 7 January, was rescheduled a number of times.
The two spacecraft on SpaDex (short for space Docking Experiment) are called SDX01 or the Chaser and SDX02 or the Target. Each weigh about 220kg (485lbs) and since their launch, they were travelling in space at a carefully chosen speed.
“They were thrown into space together but at the time of separation. They were placed with different velocity to allow them to build a distance of 10-20km between them.” Mila Mitra, a former Nasa scientist and co-founder of Delhi-based space education company Stem and Space, told the BBC. During docking scientist maneuvered them to close that distance allowing them to mate, she added.
The docking was initially scheduled for 7 January. ISRO later delayed it by two days saying they needed to carry out some more testing through simulations before the actual docking. The second time, it said there had been a glitch while trying to bring the satellites closer but added that the spacecraft were safe.
