Following the remarkable achievement of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is set to undertake an ambitious mission before the year concludes. With this India will join the ranks of only three nations—America, Russia, and China—that have successfully executed similar feats in space. ISRO plans to demonstrate the docking and undocking of two satellites in orbit.
On December 30, 2024, at 9:58 PM Indian time, ISRO will launch two satellites from the Sriharikota Space Center using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This objective of the mission is to showcase the 'SpaDeX' (Space Docking Experiment) technology, marking a significant milestone for India in the realm of space exploration.
If successful, India will become the fourth country to achieve the complex task of space docking. The PSLV will place the two satellites, SDX-1 and SDX-2, into a circular orbit at an altitude of 476 kilometers, with the docking experiment planned for the first week of January.
Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said, "This mission will underline India's entry into the special category of countries capable of mastering space docking."
An important step for India's future efforts in space exploration
The SpaDeX mission is expected to prove to be an important step for India's future efforts in space exploration, including bringing rocks and soil from the Moon to Earth, the proposed Indian space station and landing an astronaut on the surface of the moon. So far only the US, Russia and China have mastered space docking technology.
An ISRO official explained that the primary goal of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology necessary for docking and undocking two small spacecraft—SDX-1, the chaser, and SDX-2, the target—in low Earth orbit. Additionally, the mission aims to illustrate the transfer of electrical power between the docked spacecraft, a capability crucial for future applications such as space robotics, spacecraft control post-docking, and payload operations.
Technology is vital for India's lunar and interplanetary missions
Minister Singh said that mastering this technology is vital for India's lunar and interplanetary missions, as it enables multi-launch operations and supports future human spaceflight endeavors. Following the docking and undocking experiments, both satellites will continue their individual missions in orbit for two years.
The SDX-1 satellite is equipped with a High Resolution Camera (HRC), while SDX-2 carries two payloads: a Miniature Multispectral (MMX) payload and a Radiation Monitor (RADMONS). These instruments will facilitate high-resolution imaging, natural resource monitoring, vegetation studies, and radiation environment assessments, contributing to a variety of applications, according to ISRO.
Prakash Kumar Pandey
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