ISRO On Cusp Of History: Ambitious SpaDex Space Docking Mission Set For Thursday Morning

New Delhi, India: ISRO is set to conduct its ambitious space docking experiment using two satellites in orbit on January 9. The event, initially scheduled for January 7, was postponed to Thursday morning.  

If successful, India will become the fourth country in the world to achieve space docking technology. As part of the mission, ISRO launched two satellites – SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) – on December 30. The satellites were deployed with the PSLV C60 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. 

Everything You Need to Know About Docking 

Each satellite weighs approximately 220 kg and was placed into a 475-km circular orbit, as planned.

According to ISRO, SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using these two small spacecraft.

This technology is essential for India's space ambitions such as Indian on Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), etc.

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.

"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.

What Does Docking Mean? 

Have you heard about the International Space Station (ISS)? It’s like a home in space where astronauts live and work. Spacecraft from Earth travel to the ISS, carrying humans or supplies, and attach themselves to it. This process of two space objects coming together and connecting is called “docking.”  

Docking happens when a spacecraft moves and attaches itself to another object, like a space station, by using its own power. NASA defines docking as the process where an active spacecraft connects with another in space.  

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) explains that docking technology is useful for missions involving multiple rockets working together in space. 

For example, if you want to build a space station, you don’t launch everything at once. Instead, different parts (or modules) are sent one by one and then joined together using docking.  

Former ISRO Chairman S. Somanath described docking as bringing multiple objects in space together for a specific purpose. 

What to Watch for in ISRO's SpaDeX Mission

ISRO's SpaDeX mission is designed to test and demonstrate the technology needed for docking two spacecraft in space. 

1. Connecting the Objects: Testing the mechanism to attach two spacecraft securely and make them function as a single unit.  

2. Controlling the Docked Pair: Learning how to control the spacecraft after they are connected.  

3. Using Sensors for Docking: Developing sensors that allow the spacecraft to dock automatically without human help.  

4. Handling Failures: Figuring out how to deal with problems if the docking doesn’t go as planned.  

5. Separation Process: Ensuring the two spacecraft can safely disconnect when needed.