The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will recommence critical experiments under its SpaDeX mission in mid-March, aiming to demonstrate satellite docking and separation technologies crucial for future space exploration projects.
The SpaDeX mission, launched successfully on December 30 last year, involved placing two satellites—named SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target)—into orbit. These satellites were designed to demonstrate docking experiments in space, a capability essential for India's ambitious future space missions. After multiple attempts, ISRO successfully docked the two satellites on January 16.
Speaking on the sidelines of the National Science Day celebrations in New Delhi, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan revealed, "Currently, the unified satellite is orbiting elliptically. This orbital configuration gives us a limited 10-15 day window once every two months to conduct experiments."
Narayanan confirmed that ISRO is presently conducting simulation experiments on separating and re-docking the satellites. Actual space-based experiments are scheduled to resume on March 15, leveraging this brief orbital window.
ISRO's SpaDeX mission isn't limited solely to docking demonstrations. Prior to the mission’s launch, ISRO outlined plans to transfer electrical power between the satellites after docking and rigidization, followed by undocking and separation maneuvers. "We intend to conduct multiple experiments as there's significant propellant onboard," added Narayanan.
Beyond immediate experiments, ISRO has further tests lined up for a subsequent orbital window expected approximately two months later.
The successful mastery of these technologies is pivotal for ISRO's upcoming projects, notably the Chandrayaan-4 lunar mission and the ambitious Bharat Antariksha Station—India's future space station project—which heavily depends on advanced docking capabilities.
Earlier at the event, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh flagged off two innovative electric agricultural machines—an e-Tractor and e-Tiller—developed by the CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur.