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  1. SpaDeX mission: ISRO successfully docks satellites in space; India 4th nation to achieve feat

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SpaDeX mission: ISRO successfully docks satellites in space; India 4th nation to achieve feat

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3 min read | Updated on January 16, 2025, 12:29 IST

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SUMMARY

India has achieved a major milestone in space exploration with ISRO's SPADEX mission, becoming the fourth country to successfully accomplish space docking.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO team and the entire space fraternity for the successful demonstration of space docking of satellites.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO team and the entire space fraternity for the successful demonstration of space docking of satellites.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed its first-ever docking experiment SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment), a historic milestone in India's space exploration journey. India became the fourth country, after Russia, China and the United States, to achieve successful space docking capabilities that are essential for future human and space missions.

ISRO on Thursday confirmed that “spacecraft docking [has been] successfully completed", calling it a “historic moment”.

The space docking process was a very important goal for ISRO’s SpaDeX Mission, initially launched on December 31.

"India became the 4th country to achieve successful Space Docking. Congratulations to the entire team! Congratulations to India!," ISRO posted on X.

PM Modi Congratulates:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO team and the entire space fraternity for the successful demonstration of space docking of satellites.

In a post on X, Modi said the successful docking “is a significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space missions in the years to come.”

What is Space Docking?

Space docking refers to the process of connecting spacecraft that are currently in orbit. This technology is important for advanced space operations, such as assembling space stations, transferring crew or cargo, and enabling interplanetary missions. Docking happens when a spacecraft can manoeuvre and attach to a space station by itself. NASA defines docking as “mating operations where an active vehicle flies into the mating interface under its own power”.

SpaDeX involved two small spacecraft, a "Chaser" and a "Target," developed by ISRO.

The mission required precision control, navigation, and communication systems to ensure a seamless connection between the modules. Earlier, the ISRO had explained that a small relative velocity was given between the Target and Chaser spacecraft at the time of separation from the launch vehicle. This incremental velocity allowed the Target spacecraft to build a 10-20 km inter-satellite separation with respect to the Chaser within a day.

How was space docking performed?

Providing commentary on the SpaDeX docking process, ISRO said, "Manoeuvre from 15m to 3m hold point completed. Docking initiated with precision, leading to successful spacecraft capture. Retraction completed smoothly, followed by rigidisation for stability. Docking successfully completed."

Later, “successful separation of SpaDeX satellites” marked another milestone in India's space journey.

At the end of this "drift arrest manoeuvre", the Target and Chaser were in the same orbit with identical velocity but separated by about 20 km, known as "Far Rendezvous".

The Chaser then approached the Target with progressively reduced inter-satellite distances of 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m, and 3 m, ultimately leading to the docking of the two spacecraft.

About The Author

Kadambari Modhave
Kadambari Modhave is a writer with around 6 years of experience in the BFSI sector. She covers business and personal finance news.

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