ISRO’s SpaDeX Mission: India Completes Second Satellite Docking in Space
This is an important moment for ISRO, and India’s pride has been augmented as it has completed the second satellite docking of the SpaDeX mission.
The news was shared on social media by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Monday, wherein he wrote, “Glad to inform that the second docking of satellites has been accomplished successfully.”
A Look at the History of the Mission:
The SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) Mission began by successfully launching the PSLV-C60 on 30th December 2024, Sriharikota. Situated on it, were two small satellites – SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), weighing around 220 kg each.
The first docking occurred between the two satellites on January 16th, 2025, at 6:20 AM, followed by undocking on March 13, 2025, at 9:20 AM.
What Is So Unique in SpaDeX?
So far, India has become the fourth country globally, after the USA, Russia, and China, to master the very complicated process of orbital satellite docking courtesy of SpaDeX.
And what is even more exciting is that the entire docking system called the Bharatiya Docking System is 100% indigenous. It has:
- A smart docking mechanism
- Four sensors that help the satellites find each other in space
- Power supply between satellites
- Inter-satellite communication.
An intelligent, autonomous docking process, where one satellite can understand and respond to the other without help from Earth
