The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved a historic feat on Thursday by successfully completing the docking of the SpaDeX satellites. The organization shared the momentous news on social media, celebrating it as a significant achievement in India’s space exploration journey. “India docked its name in space history! Good Morning India—ISRO’s SpaDeX mission accomplishes historic docking success. Proud to witness this moment!” ISRO posted on X (formerly Twitter).
This success comes just days after the agency’s trial attempt on January 12, where the two spacecraft were brought to within three meters of each other before being safely separated. The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission was launched on December 30, 2024, marking a major step forward in India’s space capabilities.
ISRO explained the docking process in a detailed post on X. The procedure began with a maneuver from a 15-meter distance to a 3-meter hold point. Docking was then initiated with high precision, leading to a successful capture of the spacecraft. “Retraction completed smoothly, followed by rigidization for stability. Docking successfully completed,” ISRO confirmed.
With this accomplishment, India has become the fourth country in the world to achieve space docking, joining the United States, Russia, and China in this prestigious group.Following the successful docking, ISRO confirmed that controlling the two satellites as a single unit was also successful. The next steps include undocking and power transfer checks, which will be carried out in the coming days.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO and the entire space community on the achievement. “It is a significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space missions in the years to come,” he posted on X.
The mission was launched aboard the PSLV C60 rocket, which carried two small spacecraft—SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target)—along with 24 payloads from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. About 15 minutes after liftoff, the two spacecraft, each weighing approximately 220 kg, were placed into a 475 km circular orbit.
The SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective demonstrator designed to showcase in-space docking using small spacecraft, marking a crucial development for future space missions where multiple rocket launches may be required to achieve common objectives. The success of this mission strengthens India’s position in the global space arena and sets the stage for more ambitious projects in the future.
