The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is poised to achieve a significant milestone with the scheduled launch of its SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) mission on December 30.
The ambitious experiment aims to dock two satellites in orbit, marking a critical advancement in India’s space technology capabilities.
Described as ‘space docking,’ the process involves manoeuvring two satellites travelling at an extraordinary velocity of 28,800 km/h to dock together at 470 km above the Earth’s surface.
Achieving this requires precision to slow their relative speeds to a mere 0.036 km/h, or 10 mm/s, to enable their safe union in space.
“This sounds simple, but to do this autonomously is a Herculean challenge as the physics involved is complex since both satellites have to remain in orbit and, more importantly, not crash into each other,” ISRO Chairman Dr S Somanath remarked.
A decade in the making
The project, developed over ten years in Bengaluru, places India on the verge of becoming the fourth nation globally to master this intricate technology, alongside Russia, the United States, and China.
The mission will employ ISRO’s patented Bhartiya Docking System, which adheres to NASA’s International Docking System Standard (IDSS) while innovating with a design that requires only two motors compared to IDSS’s 24.
The two satellites, aptly named Chaser and Target, each weighing 220 kg, will launch aboard a PSLV rocket. The experiment aims to demonstrate their docking and subsequent undocking, with the SpaDeX mission serving as a critical precursor to India’s larger ambitions, including Chandrayaan-4, a Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), and a future human moon mission.
“Mastering docking is a necessary step if India has to send Chandrayaan-4, build a space station, and then send an Indian to the moon. SpaDeX is one mission with many objectives, truly the fullest use of taxpayer money to innovate and catapult India into the next league of spacefaring nations,” Dr Somanath stated.
Collaborative success
While the concept and design originated with ISRO, the final assembly, integration, and testing were outsourced to Bengaluru-based Ananth Technologies.
Established in 1992 by former ISRO scientist Dr Subba Rao Pavuluri, the private company undertook the complex project with notable success.
“It was a bold move to let a private company undertake this complex job, but they came out with flying colours,” said Dr M Sankaran, Director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre.
The docking port currently has a diameter of 450 mm but aims to scale to 800 mm for future missions, including connecting the Gaganyaan Crew Module to the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.
According to Dr Sankaran, the docking phase of the experiment is likely to occur early in the new year.
Follow us
