ISRO is going to create a record in space docking technology, launching SPADEX mission on 30th

ISRO said that India's SPADEX mission, which will develop and demonstrate the technology required to dock and undock spacecraft in space, will launch on December 30. It will be launched through PSLV-C60 from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. Through this mission, India is moving towards becoming the fourth country in the world with space docking technology.

ISRO wrote on its website that people will be able to watch it from the launch view gallery by registering in advance. The registration process started at 6 pm on Monday. According to ISRO, the SPADEX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstration mission for demonstrating docking in space using two small spacecraft launched from PSLV. Ambitious missions, such as a soft landing with an Indian on the moon, samples brought back, and an Indian space station with construction and operations, require this highly critical technology.

Generally speaking, space docking is an essential technology for each mission in which more than one rocket launch is needed to reach the goals of some particular mission. The Spadex mission consists, according to ISRO, of two small spacecraft weighing approximately 220 kg each launched independently and simultaneously by PSLV-C60 in a 470 km near-circular orbit with 55 degrees of inclination having a local time cycle of approximately 66 days.

This will be very important in space docking technology when many rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives. Based on this mission, India is going to become the fourth country in the world that can boast space docking technology. After the successful launch of the PSLV-C59/Probas-3 mission on December 9, ISRO chairman and secretary of the Department of Space, S Somanath said a similar mission is coming up with the launch of PSLV-C60 in December itself. "This (PSLV-C60 mission) is going to demonstrate a space docking experiment called Spadex. The rocket is now ready and we are getting ready for the final phase of activities leading to the launch, possibly in December itself," Somanath said.

According to ISRO, the Spadex mission consists of two small spacecraft (each weighing around 220 kg) that will be launched independently and together from the side of PSLV-C60 into a circular orbit of 470 km at 55 degrees inclination, with a local time cycle of about 66 days. The explanation said the Spadex mission was launched to develop and demonstrate the technology required for the rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the chaser, and SDX02, which is the nominal target) in low Earth circular orbit.