New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex) on board a PSLV rocket was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Monday. SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.
According to the Indian space agency, the primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target, nominally) in a low-Earth circular orbit.
“In addition, SpaDeX, because of its small size and mass, is even more challenging due to the finer precision required for the rendezvous and docking maneuvers compared to docking two large spacecraft. This mission will be a forerunner for autonomous docking needed for future lunar missions like Chandrayaan-4 without the support of GNSS from Earth,” ISRO said in a statement.
Billed as a prelude to ISRO’s setting up its own Space Station by 2035, the 44.5 metre tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carried Spacecraft A and B, each weighing 220kg that would help in space docking, satellite servicing and interplanetary missions.
The lift-off was originally planned at 9.58 pm on Monday but ISRO authorities later rescheduled to 10 pm. However, there was no official information behind the reason for the rescheduling.
