Paving The Way For India’s Own Space Station: ISRO To Carry Out Complex Space Docking Experiment Next Year

Undeterred by the setback received from the last-minute debacle in soft-landing of the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to carry out India's first-ever space docking experiment (SPADEX) next year, reports Hindu Businessline.

The experiment would involve two separate satellites connecting with each other in the space physically. The two satellites will be sent up in the space onboard an indigenously made PSLV rocket.

The successful execution of the SPADEX will pave way for India's ambitions to have its own space station akin to the International Space Station (ISS) revolving the planet Earth. The space station would then serve as a laboratory in the space.

ISRO chief Dr K Sivan said that India's premier space research body is aiming to take up the space station project after the completion of the prestigious Gaganyaan project, under which three Indian astronauts will be sent to space, for which the work is already on in full swing.

The project is to be executed before 2022-23 end when would be celebrating its seventy fifth year of independence. As per Dr Sivan, the Gaganyaan project is expected to take place in December 2021.