News Brief
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan Clarifies No Glitches in SpaDeX Satellite Docking Mission, Says Process Moving Step By Step
SpaDex mission satellites (Pic Via ISRO)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman V Narayanan dismissed reports of glitches in the agency’s first space docking mission, SpaDeX, on Saturday (8 February), stating that the process was progressing "step by step".
“No glitches, right now it is docked. We are going step by step. We are studying and then we are planning to do a lot of experiments,” Narayanan, Secretary, Department of Space, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 15th Biennial Edition of Aero India International Seminar.
The ISRO achieved a significant milestone on 16 January by successfully docking two satellites under the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX).
The agency also announced that post docking, control of two satellites as a single object was successful.
"Manoeuvre from 15m to 3m hold point completed. Docking initiated with precision, leading to successful spacecraft capture. Retraction completed smoothly, followed by rigidisation for stability. Docking successfully completed," ISRO said in a post on X after the docking.
The successful docking followed a preparatory trial conducted on 12 January, during which ISRO manoeuvered the spacecraft to within three meters of each other before repositioning them to a safe distance.
Earlier attempts at docking on 7 and 9 January were postponed
Launched on 30 December 2024, the SpaDeX mission utilised the PSLV C60 rocket to carry two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), alongside 24 additional payloads.
The PSLV C60 successfully deployed the spacecraft into a 475-kilometer circular orbit roughly 15 minutes after its liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Each satellite weighs approximately 220 kilograms.
According to ISRO, the SpaDeX project serves as a cost-efficient technology demonstrator designed to highlight the feasibility of in-space docking with small satellites.
