Isro SpaDeX docking update: Indian satellites close in for handshake
ISRO’s Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) satellites are currently 105 metres apart in orbit, the space agency said on Sunday. The two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), are in good condition. The distance between them was 230 metres on Saturday evening.
In an update on ‘X’, ISRO said, “We are further close, we see each other from an Inter Satellite Distance (ISD) of 105m.”
The agency has not specified a date for conducting the docking experiment that will bring the satellites together in space. The SpaDeX project had previously missed docking schedules on January 7 and 9.
The mission, which launched successfully on December 30, aims to demonstrate in-space docking using small spacecraft. The PSLV C60 rocket carrying the two 220 kg satellites lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, with the spacecraft placed into a 475-km circular orbit.
According to ISRO, the SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator for in-space docking, a technology important for India’s future space missions, including lunar exploration and the development of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS).
The successful demonstration of this technology is a key step for India, which aims to become the fourth country in the world to possess space docking capabilities.
