If successful, India will become the fourth country to achieve this milestone.
India has launched its first space docking mission with an Indian-made rocket, aiming to become the fourth country to achieve the feat of advanced technology.
The mission, called Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Andhra Pradesh on Monday at 16:30 GMT aboard the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) “flagship” PSLV rocket. Ta.
Approximately 15 minutes later, the PSLV-C60 rocket reached an altitude of approximately 470 km (292 miles) and the mission director reported a successful launch.
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.
India’s mission will involve deploying two small spacecraft, each weighing about 220 kg (485 lb), into a 470 km circular orbit. 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, including imaging systems and radiation monitoring equipment designed to measure electron and proton radiation levels in space, providing critical data for future human spaceflight missions. I will.
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath said actual trials of the docking technology could take place within about a week, suggesting the nominal date was around January 7. “The rocket placed the satellite in the correct 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.
In a first for India, the rocket and satellite were integrated and tested by a private company called Anant Technologies, rather than a government agency.
“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.
The country’s science and technology minister, Jitendra Singh, said in a statement ahead of the launch that the mission was “crucial to India’s future space ambitions.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year announced plans to send a man to the moon by 2040.
The world’s most populous country has a relatively low-budget aerospace program and is rapidly approaching milestones set by the world’s space powers.
In August 2023, India became the fourth country to land an unmanned spacecraft on the moon, after Russia, the United States, and China.
