The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has announced a major milestone in its SpaDex mission, which stands for Space Docking Experiment.
On Sunday, ISRO conducted a trial for the docking process involving two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target). They first came close to a distance of 15 meters and then to just 3 meters.
In their update, ISRO stated, "The spacecraft were tested to reach a distance of 15 meters and then 3 meters. After this, the spacecraft are being taken back to a safe distance."
This trial is an important step toward achieving the mission's goal of developing and demonstrating the technology necessary for docking and undocking spacecraft.
ISRO earlier shared that the satellites were nearing an “exciting handshake” as they approached each other. "At 15 meters, we see each other clearer and clearer, we are just 50 feet away for an exciting handshake," they noted in a post on X.
Following the trial, ISRO plans to analyze the collected data before proceeding with the docking process. They have also released images and a brief video captured by the SpaDex satellite from distances of 15 meters and 105 meters, showcasing the mission's progress.
The SpaDex mission was launched on December 30 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota at approximately 10 PM Indian time.
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