SpaDeX Satellites Launched by ISRO Are 'Closing In for Exciting Handshake' | VIDEO

New Delhi: The SpaDeX satellites that have been launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as part of their space docking experiment are just 15 metres apart and are ‘closing in for an exciting handshake’. The Indian space agency has also shared visuals…

SpaDeX Satellites ‘Closing In For An Exciting Handshake’

The two satellites launched by ISRO to perform space docking experiment were 15 metres apart and closing in for an "exciting handshake", the space agency said on Sunday. The two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), are in good condition.

In a docking update on ‘X’, ISRO said, “At 15m we see each other clearer and clearer, we are just 50 feet away for an exciting handshake.”

ISRO Shares Video of SpaDeX Satellites That Are Just 15 Metres Apart

In another post on ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared a video where the satellites, just 15 metres apart are capturing photos and videos of each other.

What is the Space Docking Experiement (SpaDeX)?

The Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) is a pivotal project, which is designed to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for spacecraft rendezvous, docking, and undocking using two small satellites, the space agency said. The mission, launched on December 30, aims to demonstrate in-space docking using small spacecraft. The PSLV C60 rocket carrying the two 220-kilogramme satellites lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, with the spacecraft placed into a 475-kilometre circular orbit. 

"SpaDeX will serve as a milestone in advancing India’s capabilities in space docking, a critical technology for future space missions including satellite servicing, space station operations, and interplanetary missions,” ISRO said in an explainer. A successful demonstration of the SpaDeX will make India the fourth nation to master the complex technologies that are crucial for its future missions, such as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and landing an astronaut on the moon. 

(Inputs from PTI)