The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its final mission for 2024 on December 30 with the PSLV C60/SPADEX Mission. The launch is scheduled at 9.58 p.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
The space agency, for the first time, will be attempting the Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) mission which will demonstrate in-space docking using two small spacecraft.
On Monday, December 30 at 9.58 PM, ISRO will launch two satellites to demonstrate docking and undocking of spacecraft in orbit, which will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve the feat. Only the US, Russia and China have mastered space docking technologies so far.
Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said, “This mission will mark India’s entry into the exclusive league of nations capable of mastering space docking.”
“This capability is vital for India’s lunar and interplanetary missions. Docking technology enables multi-launch missions and supports future human spaceflight,” Singh said.
SRO, in a statement said, “SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV.”
The SpaDEx mission is expected to be a stepping stone for India’s future endeavours in space exploration which include getting sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) and landing an astronaut on the lunar surface.
“In-space docking technology is essential when multiple rocket launches are required to achieve common mission objectives. Through this mission, India is marching towards becoming the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology,” it added.
“The primary objective of the SpaDeX mission is to develop and demonstrate the technology needed for rendezvous, docking, and undocking of two small spacecraft (SDX01, which is the Chaser, and SDX02, the Target) in a low-Earth circular orbit,” the ISRO said in the statement.
ISRO PSLV C60/SpaDEx Mission: Post-Docking Activities
After the demonstration of docking and undocking experiments, the two satellites will continue to orbit the Earth for standalone missions for two years.
The SDX01 satellite is equipped with a High Resolution Camera (HRC) and SDX02 has two payloads — Miniature Multispectral (MMX) payload and Radiation Monitor (RadMon).
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