Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C60 rocket carrying the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDex) mission on December 30, 2024, at 10:00 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. This mission marks India’s entry into an exclusive club of nations capable of in-space docking, alongside the US, Russia, and China.
The SpaDex mission involves two spacecraft, named Chaser and Target, each weighing about 220 kg, designed to dock autonomously in a 470 km orbit. This technology is crucial for ISRO’s future plans, including the construction of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, human spaceflight, and lunar sample return missions like Chandrayaan-4. The mission not only validates India’s docking technology but also carries 24 experimental payloads, showcasing innovations from ISRO, academia, and startups.