India Becomes 4th Country to Achieve Space Docking, Joining US, Russia & China

ISRO announced the successful undocking of its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex) today, paving the way for upcoming missions like Chandrayaan-4 and others.

ISRO described the steps that led to the successful experiment in a post on X. These steps included the SDX-2 extension, the planned release of capture lever 3, the disengagement of the SDX-2 capture lever, and the issuance of a de-capture command for both spacecraft.

Minister Praises ISRO’s Achievement

Union Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, congratulated ISRO on X, calling the SPADEX satellite de-docking a proud moment for India. He highlighted that this success will support future missions like the Bharatiya Antriksha Station, Chandrayaan-4, and Gaganyaan, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for boosting morale.

India’s Successful Space Docking 

The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on December 30, 2024. On January 16, ISRO successfully docked two satellites—SDX01 and SDX02, known as Chaser and Target.

India Joins Elite Group in Space Docking

With this success, India has become the fourth country in the world to achieve space docking, following China, Russia, and the United States.

Future Docking Experiments Planned

ISRO chairman V. Narayanan earlier informed PTI that additional space docking experiments will begin on March 15. "We have a plan in place and will start actual experiments from March 15," he said.

He added that the unified satellite is currently in an elliptical orbit. Every two months, there will be a 10 to 15-day window to conduct further studies.

Cost-Effective Space Docking Technology

ISRO stated that SpaDeX is a budget-friendly project using two small spacecraft launched by a PSLV rocket. This technology can be useful when multiple rocket launches are needed for a shared mission objective.