In a significant step towards a technological breakthrough, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced on Sunday that the SpaDeX satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), are now positioned just 15 meters apart. The achievement marks progress in ISRO’s ambitious spacecraft docking project, overcoming challenges encountered last week.
The mission had faced a temporary setback last week when an unexpected drift between the satellites delayed the docking experiment. Originally planned for January 7, the event was postponed to January 9 and further delayed after the drift exceeded expectations. ISRO engineers successfully addressed the issue, ensuring the satellites are now on course for docking.
The next phase involves reducing the inter-satellite distance to 3 meters before attempting the historic docking maneuver. If successful, India will join an elite group of nations — the USA, Russia, and China — capable of such space docking technologies.
The SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30, 2024, aboard the PSLV-C60 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, aims to demonstrate rendezvous, docking, and undocking technologies. These capabilities are critical for future space missions, including lunar sample return, Indian astronauts’ lunar landings, and the development of an Indian space station.
This milestone underscores ISRO’s growing expertise in space exploration, bringing India closer to its goal of leading global space technology advancements.
