ISRO successfully docks SpaDeX satellites; fourth country to accomplish feat

Bengaluru: ISRO successfully performed the docking of satellites as part of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX). The space agency also announced that post docking, control of two satellites as a single object was successful.

With this, India has become the fourth country after the US, Russia and China to accomplish the feat.

In a post on X, ISRO said, “India docked its name in space history! Good Morning India ISRO’s SpaDeX mission accomplishes historic docking success. Proud to witness this moment!.”

SpaDeX Docking Update:

🌟Docking Success

Spacecraft docking successfully completed! A historic moment.

Let’s walk through the SpaDeX docking process:

Manoeuvre from 15m to 3m hold point completed. Docking initiated with precision, leading to successful spacecraft capture.…

— ISRO (@isro) January 16, 2025

How was the docking in space executed?

The two satellites SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) which were launched by the PSLV C60 on December 30, 2024, successfully docked as the space agency officials from the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) oversaw the complex docking procedure.

The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 payloads, had lifted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and about 15 minutes after liftoff, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were launched into a 475-km circular orbit as intended.

According to the ISRO, the manoeuvre from the 15 m to the 3 m hold point was completed. The docking, completed successfully, was initiated with precision, leading to successful spacecraft capture. The retraction was completed smoothly, followed by rigidisation for stability.

Significance of docking mission

Earlier this week, ISRO had moved the satellites within three metres in a trial attempt. It then moved the spacecraft back to a safe distance. In space, docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives.

The experiment was crucial for ISRO’s future missions, including Bharatiya Antariksh Station and landing an astronaut on the moon.

Leaders congratulate outstanding achievement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists for the achievement. “Congratulations to our scientists at @isro and the entire space fraternity for the successful demonstration of space docking of satellites. It is a significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space missions in the years to come,” he wrote in a post on X.

ISRO chairman V Narayanan congratulated the team which made the mission successful.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge greeted ISRO for achieving the feat. “We are extremely proud of the exceptional work of the scientists and space engineers at @isro as they successfully achieved the satellite docking as part of the SpaDex Mission,” Kharge wrote in a post on X.