ISRO gets ready for SpaDEX mission, Indian minister says country to achieve historic space docking feat

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

India’s impending SpaDeX mission will achieve a historic space docking feat, said Dr Jitendra Singh, the country’s Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology.

India has already proved its prowess in precision landing with Chandrayaan-3 in 2023.

Next up is the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, which is scheduled to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at 10:15 PM IST from Sriharikota on December 30.

“Tonight at precisely 10:00:15 PM, PSLV-C60 with SpaDeX and innovative payloads are set for liftoff,” ISRO said in a tweet.

“SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) is a pioneering mission to establish India’s capability in orbital docking, a key technology for future human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions,” it read.

The mission aims to dock two satellites in space, a challenge only mastered by the US, Russia, and China, so far.

“ISRO’s year-end mission is going to be a historic one as it will seek the rare feat of docking or merging or joining together two satellites in space,” Singh said, adding that “the indigenous technology used for this mission is called the ‘Bharatiya Docking System’”.

“SpaDEX will mark a milestone, showcasing India’s expertise in spacecraft docking technology,” Singh noted.

The success of this mission is vital for India’s future space ambitions. Docking technology will help upcoming missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the planned Indian space station, expected to be ready by 2035. It is also crucial for the eventual manned Gaganyaan mission, expected to launch in 2026.

With SpaDeX, “ISRO will attempt to dock two satellites orbiting at speeds of 28,800 km/h”. And both satellites must be carefully manoeuvred to reduce their relative velocities to a mere 0.036 km/h”.

The two satellites, SDX01 or Chaser and SDX02 or Target, will merge to form a single unit in space. Each satellite weighs around 220 kilograms and will orbit 470 km above Earth.

The mission aims to include performing precision rendezvous and docking manoeuvres, validating power transfer between docked spacecraft, and operating payloads post-undocking, with a two-year lifespan.

SpaDEX will also use PSLV’s fourth stage, POEM-4, for experiments. The stage will carry 24 payloads from academic institutions and startups. These experiments will utilise the microgravity environment in orbit.

(Photo courtesy: Screengrab from X)

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