India becomes fourth nation to master space docking technology

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India has successfully launched the PSLV-C60 rocket carrying the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on December 30 from Sriharikota marking a significant achievement in space technology. The mission involved two small spacecraft — SDX01 the Chaser and SDX02 the Target — each weighing around 220 kg. These satellites will dock in a low-Earth orbit with the docking process expected to be completed by January 7.

ISRO Chairman Dr. S. Somanath congratulated the PSLV team and the SpaDeX team highlighting the mission's innovation and cost-effectiveness. He confirmed that all objectives of the mission had been successfully accomplished and noted that the solar panels for the satellites had been deployed successfully. The SpaDeX mission also carries 24 payloads from academic institutions, startups, industries, and ISRO centers which will undergo testing in the coming months. With this achievement India has become the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to master space docking technology. This milestone places India in an elite group of nations capable of orbital docking using its indigenously developed Bharatiya Docking System. Union Minister Jitendra Singh emphasized that this technology will be crucial for India’s future space missions including the Gaganyaan crewed mission and the proposed Bharatiya Antriksha Station. The SpaDeX mission not only showcases India's growing capabilities in space but also sets the stage for future human spaceflight and satellite servicing missions.