The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully de-docked the SpaDeX satellites, a significant achievement that clears the path for future missions such as exploring the moon, human spaceflight, and building India's own space station. The de-docking, announced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, follows a successful docking experiment conducted in January. The SpaDeX mission involved launching two satellites, SDX01 and SDX02, to demonstrate the docking technology in space.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully performed the docking of satellites as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX). The docking was achieved after a series of maneuvers, including a trial attempt on January 12. The SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30, 2024, aims to demonstrate in-space docking technology using two small spacecraft. This technology is crucial for achieving complex mission objectives that require multiple rocket launches.
India is marching towards becoming the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday said the two satellites launched to perform space docking experiments were brought within three metres and then moved safely back in a trial attempt.
Dubbed as a prelude to ISRO setting up its own Space Station by 2035, the PSLV-C60 mission would also make India join an elite club in achieving this feat which is expected to take place in the coming days.
The two Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) satellites that the Indian Space Research Organisation is hoping to unite are at a distance of 1.5 km and will be brought much closer on January 11, the space agency said on Friday.