bangalore, india
Reuters
—
India on Monday launched its first space docking mission with an Indian-made rocket, aiming to become the fourth country to achieve the advanced technology feat.
The mission, called the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Andhra Pradesh at 16:30 Japan time aboard the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)’s “flagship” PSLV rocket. About 15 minutes later, the spacecraft reached an altitude of about 470 kilometers (292 miles), and the mission director announced the launch as a success.
This mission is seen as extremely important for future space development, including the maintenance of satellites and the operation of the country’s planned space station.
In-space docking technology is critical when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve a common mission goal.
The Indian mission will deploy two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg in a circular orbit of 470 km. It will also demonstrate the transmission of power between docked spacecraft. This is an essential feature for applications such as in-space robotics, composite spacecraft control, and post-undock payload manipulation.
Each satellite carries advanced payloads such as imaging systems and radiation monitoring equipment designed to measure electron and proton radiation levels in space, providing critical data for future human spaceflight missions. Masu.
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said actual trials of the docking technology could take place within about a week, with the nominal date expected to be around January 7.
“The rocket put the satellite in the right orbit,” he said.
If the demonstration is successful, India will become the only country along with the US, Russia and China to have developed and tested this capability.
For the first time in India, the rocket and satellite were integrated and tested not by a government agency but by a private company called Anant Technologies.
“Showing this technology will not only allow us to join a rare group of countries that own it, but will also enable ISRO to expand its market as a launch partner for various global missions that require docking facilities and assembly in space. It will also open up.” Somak Raychoudhary, an astrophysicist at Ashoka University, said:
The fourth stage of PSLV, which would normally be space debris, has been converted into an unmanned active space laboratory. The final stage of the rocket will be repurposed as an orbital laboratory and will be used for various experiments.
“The PSLV Orbital Experiment Module (POEM) is a practical solution introduced by ISRO that will enable Indian startups, academic institutions and research institutes to test space technologies without launching an entire satellite. By making it accessible, we reduce barriers to entry and enable a wider range of parties to contribute to the space sector,” said Pawan Goenka, Chairman of India’s Space Regulatory Authority.
