Official announcements from ISRO and international space agencies

ISRO's SpaDeX Mission Achieves India's First Space Docking, Becoming Fourth Nation with Docking Tech

Jan 16, 2025, 04:45 AM

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully completed its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, achieving the docking of two spacecraft, SpaDeX 01 and SpaDeX 02, in Earth's orbit on January 16, 2025. This accomplishment makes India the fourth country, after the USA, Russia, and China, to indigenously develop space docking technology. The docking process involved precise maneuvers, moving from a 15-meter to a 3-meter hold point before initiating docking, leading to successful spacecraft capture and retraction. Post-docking, control of the two satellites as a single object was established, with undocking and power transfer checks to follow in the coming days. The mission marks a historic moment for ISRO, paving the way for ambitious future space endeavors, including potential missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the establishment of a space station. Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, congratulated the team on this significant milestone. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, also extended their congratulations, highlighting the indigenous development of the "Bharatiya Docking System." The mission was completed after three attempts last week.