Historic Achievement: India Joins Elite Club as 4th Nation to Successfully Dock Satellites in Orbit!

India’s space program is making impressive strides once again.

On January 15, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully docked two satellites in orbit, marking a major milestone. With this achievement, India joins the ranks of the United States, Russia, and China as one of only four countries to accomplish this feat.

“Spacecraft docking successfully completed! A historic moment,” ISRO shared in a post on X. “Congratulations to the entire team! Congratulations to India!”

The mission, known as SpaDeX, launched on December 30 using a PSLV rocket. Its goal was to test India’s automated docking technology, which is vital for future space missions.

ISRO officials emphasized the importance of this technology in a mission description, stating that it is crucial for India’s upcoming projects, including lunar exploration and the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), a planned space station set to be completed around 2035. The nation is also gearing up for its Chandrayaan 4 mission, which aims to return samples from the moon in 2028.

SpaDeX consists of two satellites named “Target” and “Chaser,” each weighing 485 pounds (220 kilograms). These satellites were intended to dock earlier, but the team delayed the attempt to conduct additional tests.

On the successful day, Target and Chaser moved from 50 feet apart to just 10 feet before securely docking. ISRO reported that post-docking operations, like controlling the satellites as a single unit, have been successful. They plan to conduct undocking and power transfer checks in the coming days.

While only a few nations have docked spacecraft in orbit, other entities have also explored docking technology. For instance, Japan and the European Space Agency (ESA) developed cargo spacecraft for the International Space Station. ESA’s Automated Transfer Vehicles docked autonomously, while Japan’s H-II Transfer Vehicles required assistance from robotic arms on the station.

In summary, India’s successful docking brings new possibilities for its future space endeavors and establishes its growing footprint in the field of space exploration.