"ISRO Successfully Executes SpaDeX Docking Experiment; India Joins Elite Club of Nations"
"ISRO Successfully Executes SpaDeX Docking Experiment; India Joins Elite Club of Nations"
The SpaDeX mission is a significant project by ISRO, aimed at developing and demonstrating the technology required for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking using two small satellites.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully executed the SpaDeX docking experiment in the early hours of Thursday, January 16, 2025, making India the fourth country after the USA, Russia, and China to achieve this historic feat.
The two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), launched by PSLV C60 on December 30, 2024, successfully docked. The docking procedure was carefully overseen by ISRO officials from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC).
“Docking Success! Spacecraft docking successfully completed! A historic moment. Let’s walk through the SpaDeX docking process: Manoeuvre from 15m to 3m hold point completed. Docking initiated with precision, leading to successful spacecraft capture. Retraction completed smoothly, followed by rigidization for stability. Docking successfully completed. India became the 4th country to achieve successful Space Docking. Congratulations to the entire team! Congratulations to India!” ISRO posted on X.
ISRO further confirmed that post-docking, control of the two satellites as a single object was successful. "Undocking and power transfer checks to follow in the coming days," ISRO said.
Earlier this week, ISRO had successfully moved the satellites within three meters in a trial attempt before safely distancing them.
The SpaDeX mission is an essential project by ISRO designed to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking using two small satellites. This technology is critical for future missions such as sending an Indian astronaut to the Moon, sample returns from the Moon, and building and operating the Indian Space Station.
Other objectives of the mission include demonstrating the transfer of electric power between the docked spacecraft, which is essential for future applications such as in-space robotics, spacecraft control, and payload operations after undocking.
According to ISRO, after the docking and undocking events, the spacecraft will be separated and used for application missions. “After successful docking and rigidization, electrical power transfer between the two satellites will be demonstrated before undocking and separation of the two satellites to start the operation of their respective payloads for the expected mission life of up to two years,” ISRO added.
The SpaDeX Docking was initially scheduled for January 7 but was postponed. ISRO cited the need for further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified on January 6.
On January 8, 2025, just hours before the docking experiment was scheduled, ISRO announced the postponement due to an unexpected drift between the satellites. The drift was later corrected, and the docking proceeded successfully.
ISRO launched the SpaDeX mission on December 30, 2024, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. A few minutes after liftoff, the two satellites, each weighing about 220 kg, were placed into a 475-km circular orbit as intended.
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