ISRO on Thursday successfully performed the docking of satellites as part of the Space Docking Experiment SpaDeX.
"India docked its name in space history! Good Morning India! ISRO's SpaDeX mission accomplishes historic docking success. Proud to witness this moment!" ISRO said in a post on X.
Earlier on January 12, ISRO brought the two spacecraft to three meters and then moved them back to a safe distance in its trial attempt to dock the satellites.
ISRO had successfully launched the Space Docking Experiment SpaDeX mission on December 30, 2024. The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites SDX01 Chaser and SDX02 Target along with 24 payloads had lifted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
About 15 minutes after liftoff, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were launched into a 475-km circular orbit as intended.
According to ISRO, the SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft that was launched by PSLV.
In space, docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives.
