The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced a major achievement with the successful docking of satellites during the Space Docking Experiment, known as SpaDex. This historic event marks India as the fourth country to accomplish such a feat, following the United States, Russia, and China.
ISRO celebrated this milestone on social media, saying, "This is a historic moment."
The SpaDex mission was launched on December 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at about 10 PM Indian time.
During this mission, two small satellites, SDX01 (the chaser) and SDX02 (the target), weighing around 220 kg, were deployed into a circular orbit of 475 km about 15 minutes post-launch aboard the PSLV C60 rocket, which also carried 24 additional payloads. On January 9, the satellites were maneuvered to within 3 meters of each other, successfully completing the docking process on January 16.
Docking is a complex procedure where two spacecraft are aligned and connected in space. This momentous success will in future allow for the transfer of humans or materials. The successful demonstration of this technology not only boosts India's capabilities in space exploration but also lays the groundwork for future endeavors, including the Chandrayaan-4 mission and the construction of a space station.
Prakash Kumar Pandey
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