Countdown Begins! ISRO Hits a Key Milestone With SpaDeX Satellites And PSLV-C60 Integration

New Delhi: As the launch date for the SpaDeX mission nears, the satellites designated for the mission were successfully integrated with the PSLV-C60 rocket, an official statement said on Thursday. 

Giving a mission update in a post on X, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said, “PSLV-C60/SpaDeX Mission Update: Integration Milestone! SpaDeX satellites have been successfully integrated with PSLV-C60 at SDSC SHAR. A step closer to liftoff!”.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its highly anticipated Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on December 30, 2024.

(SpaDeX satellites integrated with PSLV-C60/Image-X@ISRO)

What is the Launch Date and Time

The Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV-C60) will lift off at 21:58 IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota on December 30. This mission marks a significant step in India's space capabilities, aiming to demonstrate critical in-space docking technology using two small spacecraft.

Objectives of SpaDeX Mission

The primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target, nominally) in a low-Earth circular orbit, ISRO said in a statement.

Mission Concept

The SpaDeX mission consists of two small spacecraft (about 220 kg each) to be launched by PSLV-C60 independently and simultaneously into a 470 km circular orbit at 55° inclination, with a local time cycle of about 66 days. The demonstrated precision of the PSLV vehicle will be utilized to give a small relative velocity between the Target and Chaser spacecraft at the time of separation from the launch vehicle, ISRO said.

Where To Watch

The launch will be live-streamed by ISRO's official YouTube channel- https://youtube.com/@isroofficial5866?si=cNc1oaKf7Dlr9IxR and across all platforms of Republic Media Network.