In another major achievement, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully docked two satellites under the SpaDeX (Space Docking Exercise) mission. This achievement makes India the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia, and China to successfully carry out satellite docking process in space.
Success after failure twice
ISRO had earlier attempted satellite docking on January 7 and 9, but these attempts could not be successful due to technical reasons.
- On January 12, 2024, ISRO was successful in bringing both the satellites to a distance of 15 meters and then 3 meters.
- After detailed analysis of the data, on January 18, 2024, ISRO created history by completely docking both the satellites.
ISRO termed the process as a “milestone in India’s space science”.
Key Features of SpaDeX Mission
SpaDeX mission was launched by ISRO on 30 December 2024.
- Under the mission, two small satellites named SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) were placed in low Earth orbit (LEO).
- Its main objective is to demonstrate precise and efficient docking technology for the Indian space programme.
Importance of Docking Technique:
- In Chandrayaan-4 mission, which is a mission to bring samples from the Moon.
- Establishment of India’s ambitious Indian Space Station, which is planned to be launched by 2028.
Docking process: great challenge and achievement
Under the SpaDeX mission, both satellites were initially placed at a distance of 20 km.
- The chaser satellite then reduced the distance in a stepwise manner to 5 km, 1.5 km, 500 m, 225 m, 15 m, and finally 3 m.
- Using precise navigation and communication systems, both satellites were successfully docked.
Performed after docking:
- Power Transfer: Power exchanged between the two satellites.
- Separation: After successful docking, the satellites are separated and their payload operations are initiated.
Importance of docking in future plans
1. Chandrayaan-4 Mission:
Chandrayaan-4 mission will use docking and undocking technology to collect samples from the lunar surface and bring them to Earth.
- The two modules will be sent from different launch vehicles.
- These modules will dock in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
2. Indian Space Station:
Docking technology is extremely important for the establishment of the proposed Indian space station by 2028.
- This technology will be essential for connecting and operating astronaut modules.
3. Human Space Mission:
Docking technology will be a major contributor to the proposed human space missions after ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission.
SpaDeX: Big achievement for India
SpaDeX mission has taken India to new heights in space science.
- This mission is not limited to just technical demonstration, but is a major step towards India becoming a leader in space science and global competitiveness.
- This technology will ensure success in unmanned and manned missions.
