ISRO launched SpaDeX i.e. Space Docking Experiment Mission from Sriharikota today on 30 December at 10 pm. Two spacecrafts were deployed 470 km above the earth from the PSLV-C60 rocket.
Now on 7 January 2025, in this mission, these two spacecrafts traveling ten times faster than the speed of a bullet in space will be connected. If the mission is successful, then India will become the fourth country to do so after Russia, America and China.
India’s Chandrayaan-4 mission depends on the success of the mission, in which samples of moon’s soil will be brought to Earth. Chandrayaan-4 mission can be launched in 2028.
SPADEX Mission Objective: Showcasing docking and undocking technology to the world
- Demonstrate the technology of docking and undocking of two small spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
- Demonstrate the technology of transferring electric power between two docked spacecraft
- Space docking means joining or connecting two spacecraft in space.
SPADEX Mission Process: Launch from PSLV rocket, then docking at 470 km
The mission includes two small spacecraft target and chaser. They were launched into separate orbits at an altitude of 470 km from PSLV-C60 rocket.
After deployment, the spacecrafts are traveling at a speed of about 28,800 kilometers per hour. This speed is 36 times the speed of a commercial aircraft and 10 times the speed of a bullet.
Now the target and chaser spacecraft will begin the Far-Range Rendezvous Phase. In this phase, there will be no direct communication link between the two spacecraft. They will be guided from the ground.
The spacecraft will keep coming closer. While covering a distance between 5 km to 0.25 km, it will use a laser rangefinder. Docking camera will be used for a range of 300 meters to 1 meter. At the same time, a visual camera will be used at a distance of 1 meter to 0 meters.
After successful docking, electrical power transfer between the two spacecraft will be demonstrated. Then the spacecrafts will be undocked and both of them will start the operation of their respective payloads. This will keep getting valuable data for about two years.
Spacecraft A has a camera and Spacecraft B has two payloads
For the standalone mission phase after docking experiments, Spacecraft A has a High Resolution Camera (HRC). Spacecraft B has two payloads – Miniature Multispectral (MMX) Payload and Radiation Monitor (RadMon). These payloads will provide high resolution images, natural resource monitoring, vegetation studies and onorbit radiation environment measurements which have many applications.
Why the mission is important: The success of missions like Chandrayaan-4 depends on this
- The technology will be used in the Chandrayaan-4 mission in which samples from the moon will be brought back to Earth.
- Docking technology will also be needed to build a space station and to go there after that.
- This technology is also necessary for the Gaganyaan mission in which humans will be sent to space.
- This technology is necessary for satellite servicing, interplanetary missions, and sending humans to the moon.
India patented its docking mechanism
This docking mechanism has been named ‘Indian Docking System’. ISRO has also taken a patent on this docking system. India had to develop its docking mechanism because no space agency shares the details of this extremely complex process.
24 payloads were also sent in the mission for experiments
24 payloads have also been sent in this mission for experiments in microgravity. These payloads were in the fourth stage of the PSLV rocket called POEM (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module). 14 payloads are from ISRO and 10 payloads are from non-governmental organizations (NGEs).
